Addicted
by Hatter Child
Summary: What do you do when your past comes back to "finish what he started?" So many precautions can be made and Sono can feel his mind and sanity slipping...day...by...day. Anticipated sequel to 'Life and Trials.' R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Tokyo, Japan. 9 pm.

Police searched the area for hours it seemed and no evidence left behind from the gruesome murder that occurred.

16 dead bodies in the same building. All of them, stabbed, shot, whipped and stripped nude. One of them had a rope around his throat, tightened horribly.

Officer Yakura was awestruck, but irritated all at once. He ran his hands through his hair after removing his hat, looking around at the photographers taking pictures. Blood covered the area, staining everyone's shoes, though no one cared. It was their duty to get the facts of what happened...

Though it was safe to say that this was no shock of what happened.

A tap on Yakura's shoulder stunned him for a moment. He turned and saw his assistant, Oishi, handing him a piece of paper. He asked,

"Got any idea of who could've done this?"

"You really need to ask? This has Mizuno all over it. How did the camera's not catch anything is beyond me."

"He might've snuck in through the vents and disabled them. You never know."

Yakura sighed again and looked at the paper. Another long day, all because Mizuno had to be a monster once again. It was like this for years. They would get a call about screams and shrieks and by the time they got there, it would be too late. Takeo had already made his mark.

And it's not hard to tell if it's his work or not. Takeo's crafty work came in the form of art. He would leave the bodies displayed in erotic or just exotic positions. Either that or at least one or two bodies would have evidence showing rape or some kind of humiliation before death. That was his calling card. That was how people knew it was him.

"Sir!"

Yakura looked up and saw one of his men waving him over.

"You might want to come over here for a minute. There's something you need to see."

Nodding, Yakura walked over to him and saw he was holding a crumpled up piece of paper in his gloved hand. Yakura put on his own glove, took the item and unfolded it, smoothing it out. His eyes widened a little, along with Oishi. And Oishi said,

"It's a photograph?"

The photograph in his hands showed three boys, all smiling at a park. One had black hair, the middle had blond hair, and the other had dark drown hair. It was a little off putting. Yakura said,

"It's not like Takeo to leave us presents. How interesting...I wonder who these three are."

"I think it's safe to say that that one is Takeo," said Oishi pointing to the black haired boy. But Yakura wasn't convinced.

"I don't think so. Looks too young..."

"Could be an old photo."

"True...the background...this looks like Himiziwa Park in Fukushima."

Yakura paused for a moment, then turned to Oishi saying

"Get a hold of the Fukushima police station and tell them we need to have a word. It seems that our little friend is trying to tell us something."

"Yes, sir."

Oishi walked off while his boss was looking over the picture a few more times. Curious, he turned it over and saw that there was writing on it. It looked like red ink.

'_Friends by Choice...but together in death.'_

Yakura stared at the quote for a moment, unsure of what it meant. He looked at the picture again, staring at the smiling faces of the three teenage boys...had Takeo killed the other two for sport? What was his motive?

...Now what could that mean...?

* * *

><p>-Fukushima-<p>

It took a couple of days to hear back from them but once they did, Yakura and Oishi were on the first flight to Fukushima...to get more info on this photo and the people on it.

The police station wasn't very crowded but when the chief appeared, he looked surprised to see two Tokyo officers waiting for him. Nonetheless, he welcomed them in and sat them down, laying the picture on the table. The picture, now hard evidence, was resting in a plastic bag.

Yakura lit his cigarette and said,

"Alright...now what can you tell us about this picture?"

The chief shrugged and said,

"What would you like to know?"

"For starters, who are these three?"

The chief looked at the picture through the bag and shuddered. He pointed to the black haired boy.

"That's Mizuno Takeo."

His finger trailed to the brown haired boy.

"Nazawa Naoki."

His finger rested on the blond haired boy.

"And that's Hanasaki Sono. They were all students here years ago at the high school."

Yakura and Oishi looked astounded. Students...years ago...Right now, Takeo was at least 33 or 34 years of age...trailing backwards in his head, Yakura silently said,

"This picture was taken..."

"19 years ago. When they were freshman. My nephew took the picture for them...how did you find this?"

"It was at one of Takeo's latest crime scenes."

The chief shuddered again and moved the picture away, folding his hands. It was silent for a few moments before Oishi said,

"Sir, we believe this is connected to Takeo's long strand of murders in the last 10 years. If there's anything you can tell us about these three, it can help us plenty with-"

"All you need to know is that Takeo is a murderer and that's that. There's not a soul here in Fukushima who doesn't know his name. No one has seen so much suffering in this city since...well since I was a young boy. Much longer than any one of them were alive."

"Sir, please. This is vital to our case. We've been tracking Mizuno down for years and have gotten nowhere since. This picture could help us understand why he's doing what he's doing. Tell me. Is there anyway we can get a hold of Nazawa or Hanasaki? To ask them some questions."

The chief gave out a small, but weak chuckle. It made Yakura and Oishi look at each other in confusion. The chief died it down and said,

"You're shit out of luck...Naoki's been dead for years...and there's no doubt that Sono won't answer any questions about Takeo. He's left bad marks on their minds and it's best left alone."

Oishi was determined to get his facts. He held out his notepad and quickly asked,

"What happened to Nazawa-kun?"

Yakura slapped Oishi's leg, telling him to shush. But he wasn't going to give up. He stood and said,

"Chief, I understand that Mizuno has left a horrible mark on this city but we must know his motives. He's a sick, twisted man, or lack thereof, but as a student in the law enforcement, I am desperate to know more. So please sir...please answer our questions. And we'll be out of your hair in no time."

Groaning, the chief said,

"Naoki was shot down in an ally, but died at the hospital. At first, we thought it was the result of his protecting his best friend. But after w while, he learned that Takeo instigated the murder. He hired two hit men to condone rape upon Hanasaki-kun, but Naoki stepped in and saved him. Takeo gave the men orders to kill anyone who got in their way...obviously, Naoki was the unlucky soul...look are we done here? This is a subject best left for dead. I'm sorry."

The two were pushed out of his office and Oishi sighed, saying,

"Now what? We're so close on him...where do we get our answers now?"

Yakura said nothing but sighed along with Oishi as they walked out of the station. It was a cold day, people bundled up in sweaters and boots. But the cold didn't seem to bother the two officers as they walked into a coffee shop, sat down and instantly, Oishi asked,

"No one in Fukushima will even discuss Takeo."

"He's a mass murderer from here. I'm not exactly surprised..."

The younger sighed and layed his head on the counter, hearing his boss order them some coffee. But soon, nature called and Oishi bolted up to use the restroom before downing any kinds of hot liquid. Yakura chuckled at his young assistant, running the the bathroom at mad speed. That boy could be such a pest, but he grew on him quite a bit. He pulled out another cigarette, roaming through the newspapers on hand, seeing if there was anything of interest. He noticed that Fukushima was under a lot of media pressure, being that they're the home of Takeo, famous killer of Tokyo.

Sighing, he turned to the directions of the bathrooms, wondering what was taking Oishi so damn long.

* * *

><p>Oishi let out a sigh of relief, zipping up his trousers. It felt like he had been holding that in for days. Sighing once again, he walked to the sinks, unware that someone had walked into the bathroom. As he was washing his hands, he heard footsteps behind him, making him slightly nervous...he felt the person directly behind him and he gulped, trying to keep his cool.<p>

He then heard,

"I hear you're after Mizuno Takeo...you a cop?"

Oishi jumped at the sound of the mans voice and turned to see a middle aged man staring at him with an intent look in his eyes and a book in his hands. It looked to be a manga. All of Oishi's brain power surged to his mouth, trying to find his calm words as a cop...finally, after picking out the best words, he said,

"Yes! I am a cop. Well, a student cop, but still a cop. We found some evidence at one of his latest crime scenes and we're having trouble interpreting it."

"What was the evidence?"

Oishi was stunned, mostly because the man wanted to know about private evidence...well, it couldn't help. The man looked as though he couldn't hurt him.

"A picture of him and two other boys...um...I think their names were-"

"Naoki and Sono...I'm not surprised. Takeo was always a little obsessed with those two."

"How do you mean?"

The man leaned against the sink and said,

"You see, all three of them were students of mine in my art courses. Naoki was in the creative writing course. Sono in my advanced illustration course. And Takeo in my sculpting course. All of them were such bright young minds...it's sad that only one of them managed to make their dream a reality...Poor Sono. Takeo left a large imprint on his brain for life."

Oishi was excited. This man knew so much about Takeo already; Maybe...

"If I may ask...do you have any idea if this picture is connected with all the Mizuno murders?"

"I have a theory, but it's more factual than anything else. After he killed Naoki, he set his sights on his ex, Sono. Made his mental life horrid...especially on graduation night...screaming, shrieking...they were lucky when they found him. Takeo had beaten him within an inch of his life...it was tragic. After that, Takeo began a string of murders that seemed to grow as he did..."

Oishi looked astounded. By god...Fukushima really was under a dark memory of Takeo...and he was only a high schooler when this started. Flipping through his book, he cleared his throat and said,

"Um...on the back of the picture, it said 'Friends by Choice, but Together in Death.' Does that strike a cord for you, sir?"

The man looked hesitant, almost afraid to answer. Slowly, he flipped through his manga, as if hunting for something. When he found it, he said,

"Right here. In Hanasaki's manga 'Love by Candlelight', there's a passage that says, 'We are only brought together by the hands of destiny to fate. We became friends by choice...but as lovers...we must be together in death.'"

He closed the book and said,

"Takeo simplified it and he's giving not only you a message, but he's giving Sono a message as well."

Oishi tilted his head, confused yet very intrigued. The man knew more and this would seriously help them. They could know what Takeo was up to...

"And...what message is that?"

"I don't know...but like I said, I have a theory that could be true. Takeo wants all of them together. Him, Sono and Naoki...all together. And since one is dead..."

The man's eyes widened suddenly and he suddenly grabbed Oishi's shoulders, shaking him. Oishi gasped, but stood his ground as the man stared deep into his eyes.

"You need to find Sono and tell him what you told me. Because if what Mizuno said is true...if he finds Sono...oh god...I don't even want to think about what might happen if he finds him...it will end badly. He'll hurt him worse than he ever did...he might even kill him."

Oishi gulped and nodded, trying to pry the man off his shoulders. He pushed the man off of him and said,

"That's such a strong theory..."

"No, it's the truth. Takeo never makes jokes about the people he threatens...He's after Sono and I don't want to know what will happen if he finds him...please, go and find him. Protect him..."

"Sir, we wouldn't even know where to begin searching for him..."

The man nodded and quickly snapped out,

"Osaka. He's probably in Osaka...check there."

Oishi gulped again and nodded, slowly walking backwards to the doors, hunting blindly with his hands. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he pressed his hand to his heart, which was beating rapidly...well, this certainly helped a bit...not to mention scared Oishi to shreds. He had to inform his partner about this new information and now.

He walked away from the bathrooms and back to his partner, who laughed at him at first.

"What happened? You get lost or-Oishi? What's wrong?"

Oishi looked at his superior, shaking a little. That man frightened him a little, but he did get some information. He sighed and said,

"Sir, we need to find Hanasaki and inform him that Mizuno is in fact after him. The thing we found on the back of that picture...it was a quote from one of Hanasaki's manga. Takeo's trying to tell us that he wants all of them dead. He wants all of them together in death."

Yakura shot up from his seat, eyes wide.

"Are you absolutely sure? How do you know this?"

"Don't ask questions...We need to get to Osaka...I was told that's where he might be..but we need to find him and make sure he's aware of this...otherwise...his life could be in absolute danger. His and everyone's around him."

* * *

><p>AN

Haha, got chapter one fixed!


	2. Chapter 2

Heat was what covered the atmosphere in the room. The heat from their bodies made it all the more exciting.

Seiji ran his hands up and down Sono's thighs as he straddled his chest, kissing with such passion. The blond ran his hands through Seiji's brown hair, moaning lightly when Seiji yanked on his blond locks gently. When they broke apart, Seiji leaned down to lick at Sono's exposed neck, trailing his tongue over his Adams apple, his hands now roaming his lovers naked backside. The blond clutched the headboard, moaning when he felt his lovers fingers enter his body, thrusting gently.

The blond couldn't help but move his hips in accord with his lovers fingers inside his body. He felt his own cock brushing on Seiji's abs, making his moans all the more loud, his fingers clawing at the headboard. He felt Seiji smile against his neck and gave his fingers a hard thrust. Sono instantly saw white.

"Oh god...Seiji, don't tease me."

The younger smiled and removed his fingers, feeling the blond move to sit on his lap. When he was about to flip them over, Sono stopped him by setting his hands on his chest, panting lightly. Seiji couldn't look away from his face. Pale but flushed in a soft red tint across his cheeks. His hair sticking to his forehead, the rest soft and resting on his shoulders. His eyes looked dark, almost black in lust, but also in love. Seiji smiled and raised his hand to rest it on Sono's cheek, earning his own smile.

"You're beautiful...you know that, right?"

Sono couldn't help but blush more and he chuckled weakly.

"Th-thank you..."

The blond gulped and gently positioned himself above Seiji's cock, sitting on it, letting out sharp moans. The younger leaned his head back, moaning at the sudden heat around his manhood. It was rare that Sono ever rode him like this. Rare as in, it hardly happened. But he seemed...very into it tonight. Both of them had finished their new issues and had a few days to relax before starting work on their new issues.

Slowly, Sono lifted his hips, pressing down, letting out a sharp gasp, clawing at his lovers chest. Faster and faster, harder and harder, Sono rode his lover into a frenzy. Every core in his body was on fire, bouncing on his lovers lap, grinding his hips from time to time.

And Seiji loved it. While it was rare the blond ever rode him like this, when he did, he made quite a show of it. Bouncing madly on him, letting out loud gasps and moans as he felt his orgasm growing. The younger felt his own orgasm approaching and wanted to cum with the blond on his lap. He reached out and took hold of the blonds throbbing mad hood. It felt hot and immensely hard in his hand, almost ready to burst. At the first two pumps, he saw the blond throw his head back and let out a loud moan, loudest of the night, cumming hard on his lovers chest and hand.

Seiji also let out a shocking moan as he felt his lovers passage suddenly tighten and grow wetter with every passing second. He gripped his lovers hips roughly, making bruises as he thrust upward hard into Sono's body, letting loose his seed in the blonds channel. He felt Sono shudder madly as liquid heat filled him to the brim, his body heat decreasing a little when he collapsed on Seiji's chest, panting madly. He felt Seiji's hot breath on his neck and it made him close his eyes, holding onto him, as if he would vanish if he let him go.

He felt the younger mans hands rub his sweaty back gently, massaging the muscles. He smiled and nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his scent. God, everytime they made love, he felt his heart grow and heat up with the love he felt from his younger lover. Maybe it was because he could actually show more emotion in front of him and it made their love all the more stronger.

He heard Seiji chuckle and say,

"You know, it's rare when you want to ride me. Usually, you like me doing most of the work. What's the occasion?"

Sono smiled and kissed the mans neck, whispering,

"Maybe I like being in control once in a while...it makes me happy to know I'm the only one who makes you moan like that."

Seiji blushed heavily and Sono chuckled, kissing his cheek, feeling Seiji's arms wrap around his lower back. They embraced like that for a while, basking in the afterglow of their love making. The blond nuzzled back into his lovers chest, moaning to himself, feeling comfort he hadn't felt in days.

"Sono, have you been sleeping well lately?"

A moments pause...Sono looked at him, eyes wide and he chuckled nervously.

"What...why would you ask that?"

"You can't hide this from me. You're tired all the time and you say you get dizzy often. If that's not convincing me, the dark circles under your eyes say it all."

Sono said nothing but his smile dropped. Ever since he told Seiji about his life and had the door of emotions opened to him, it seemed Seiji could now read him like an open book. And as much as he liked it, it also seemed frustrating after a while.

He felt Seiji sit and settle him in his lap, cupping his face in his hands, kissing his cheek lightly. That soft kiss made the blond smile, wrapping his arms around Seiji's shoulders. When they locked eyes, the younger asked,

"You know you can tell me anything. Are you having nightmares again?"

"No...not any bad ones. Mostly just...bad memories."

Seiji felt the blond shudder in his arms and he tightened his hold on the blonds waist. In truth, Sono never really got over what happened to him all those years ago. He had them locked away, repressed for too long. Letting them out to someone was very hard. Sometimes, when they spent the night together, he would hear Sono crying in his sleep next to him, clutching the blankets to his chest. It had been like that for a few days now.

The younger took Sono's hand and set it on his own heart, smiling up at him.

"Hey now, remember what I told you? I'd help you heal. I'll help you deal with the memories and the harsh pains of what had happened. I understand that you're in a lot of mental pain because you let those feelings out to someone, but don't worry. It'll get better. I promise. Just don't let it get to you."

The blond smiled and blushed, rubbing his own neck. God, Seiji always got under his skin like this. He layed his head on top of Seiji's head, cradling him to his chest. Seiji could literally feel the blonds heart thumping in his chest. He smiled and layed them both on the bed, kissing his lips passionately.

The blond kissed back, clutching his lovers shoulders from under his arms, feeling a tongue battle with his own. Pretty soon, they broke apart and the younger layed his forehead against Sono's, feeling how hot it was. The blond shuddered and gulped. As much as he hated to spoil this perfect moment...

"Seiji...I should probably head home..."

Seiji's eyes widened and he quickly got up on his elbows, baring into the blonds eyes.

"Why? We have plenty of time before going to work...did...did I say something?"

"No no, it wasn't you...I just want to get a head start on my drafts. And I know you don't want to procrastinate..."

Seiji sighed, knowing his lover spoke the truth. Slowly, he removed himself from his lovers body and watched as the blond got dressed, noting how slow he took his time. He got out of bed and put on some jeans, then went over to wrap his arms around Sono's still naked waist, fingers buttoning up his pants. He felt Sono shudder and tense up, then relax again. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had to.

Sighing, he turned and hugged his lover, taking in his scent one more time. Then, he put on his sweater and socks, walking towards the front door, with Seiji close behind him. Once at the door, the younger help Sono into his jacket, kissing the back of his neck. The blond smiled, putting on his black beanie, covering his ears. Finally bundled with his boots on, he turned to give Seiji a quick kiss on the lips, to which Seiji quickly deepened, even though they knew they couldn't do much more. After the kiss, Seiji pecked him on the cheek, asking,

"You going to be ok getting home?"

"I'll manage..."

"Are you sure? You sure you don't want me to walk home with you? Or have you stay here for the night?"

"Seiji, I'll be fine. I'll see you later, ok?"

"Can I come over in a few days?"

"Tomorrow...c-come over tomorrow. After work..."

Nodding, Seiji kissed the blonds forehead and saw him smile. He saw that same smile when Sono walked out of his apartment, waving good bye. Once the door shut, Seiji let out a sigh and moved to sit in his chair. It was always hard when Sono left after a nice night with him. Groaning, he pulled out a blank piece of draft paper and tapped at it with his pencil. He tried imagining what Sono was doing right now. Getting on a bus, riding to his stop and walking to his apartment. In the cold...god, Seiji was such a worry wart.

That next afternoon, when Seiji was at the blonds apartment, he watched as his lover paced back and forth with a pencil in his mouth. He was debating on his next issue, hard as it seemed. Seiji was there for help obviously, but also as his lover.

A sudden knock at his front door broke them both from their trances and Sono groaned. He walked over to the door and opened it, slightly annoyed. When he did open the door, he was slightly stunned now.

At the door stood two men in suits, one taller than the other. They each had badges on their front suit pockets and they had a look of hope in their eyes.

The taller said,

"Excuse me, sir. Might you be Hanasaki Sono?"

At first, the blond was confused. He could tell Seiji was confused as well. But he looked back at them, nodding. They both let out sighs of relief.

"Thank god...we've been from house to house looking for you for at least a week."

The younger bowed and said,

"We're so sorry to disturb you, but could we have a few moments of your time to answer some questions?"

"Oh, uh, of course. Come in."

He moved aside to let the two in and remove their shoes. Seiji noticed something on their hips...gun holsters...guns...badges...these two were cops. What did cops want with Sono?

The taller bowed and said,

"I'm detective Yakura. This is officer Oishi, my student assistant. I was wondering if we could ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I wasn't really busy with anything. Please, sit."

The two sat down on the large couch while Sono and Seiji sat in the two chairs opposite the couch. Yakura pulled out a notebook while Oishi rubbed his neck. Seiji felt a little uneasy with the two of them here. Why were they here? Did someone in his family die or something?

Finally, Yakura sighed and said,

"If this is a tender subject for you, I apologize. But we need to talk to you about a few things...starting with this."

Oishi pulled out a plastic bag with what looked like a picture inside and handed it to Sono. When he took it, he turned it over and looked at it. The moment he saw it, his eyes grew wide and he gasped, hand to his mouth. Seiji snatched the bag from his lovers hand and looked at the picture. He tilted his head, listening to Sono hyperventilate. He looked at the two men, asking,

"I don't understand."

Oishi gulped and said,

"We...found that at a recent crime scene. And it had writing on it that said 'Friends by Choice...but together in death.'"

At that, Sono hit the floor on his knees, his hand clutching his stomach, other hand on his mouth, panting like mad. Seiji quickly went to his side, helping him up and sat him back in the chair, asking,

"Can someone explain this to me? Please?"

Yakura opened his mouth to speak, but a weak voice spoke up first.

"That q-quote...it's from one of my very first manga I've ever published. But it's more shorter..."

He looked up at the two men and said,

"Why the hell did you come here to bring me this shit? 15 years I've tried to forget about them! And you come into my house and...and show me this? Why? What the hell does it mean!"

Seiji backed away at the blonds outburst. He had never seen Sono so mad before and from the sounds of things, he was about to be boiling. Yakura sighed and said,

"Sono-san, I understand you're upset. You have every right to be. But we have to inform you of the high possibility that..."

"Say it...just say it!"

"Mizuno Takeo has made it known and clear that he's after you."

Everything went deathly silent. Seiji in confusion, the officers in waiting silence. Sono's silence was in horrific realization. His eyes were wide with horror, his skin more pale than before. He was frozen as a statue.

"No..."

_'No matter where you go, no matter who you're with, I'll find you'_

"No..."

_'when I do, ohhh you don't want to know what will happen when I find you.'_

"...No..."

Sono hands fell into his hair, gripping his locks tightly, his breath coming quickly with frightened pants.

_'You're mine, understand? You're fucking mine.'_

His hands gripped tighter, eyes more wide than usual...his sight was going out.

_'If I can't have you...'_

Sono felt sick as the last line of the threat screamed through his mind.

_'...no one can!'_

And the blond let out a loose scream, falling to the floor, screaming into the hardwood floor. Immediately, Seiji was on his knees, trying to calm him down, even though he only knew little of what he was screaming about. The officers jumped when Sono let out his scream, unsure of how to react. They had been informed that Takeo was like the black plague on Sono's mind and the mere mention of his name was enough to send Sono into a panicking fright. They thought the people were exaggerating.

Oh how wrong they were.

After a few minutes of Sono screaming into his lovers chest, he calmed down just a little, only to black out due to his massive headache. Seiji lightly rubbed his lover stomach, literally feeling it churn in nerves, stress and fear. Without acknowledging the other men, he picked his lover up and carried him to his bedroom. He gently layed him on his bed, covering him up. What an odd way to put it, but Seiji was more than afraid of what he had just witnessed.

Never once had he seen Sono mad before. And never once had he seen Sono freak out in such a horrific way. Enough to where he blacked out. Shuddering, he left the bedroom and shut the door, walking back into the living room, faced the officers and said with a look of fear, but cold instinctive protection,

"What does Takeo want with him?"

"Well, he have an idea, but it's only a theory."

"Say it. I have to know."

Oishi looked at his partner, slightly unsure. But Yakura set his hand on his shoulder, nodding. He knew Oishi was still slightly uncomfortable with breaking the news to people, if the news was unpleasant.

Sighing, he said,

"We believe that Takeo is planning some kind of homicide/suicide thing. We're thinking he's planning to...well...possibly murder Hanasaki-kun, then kill himself. He has an odd obsession with Sono and Naoki that trailed through high school. He always has. After he killed Naoki, he's planned to bring them all together in death. That's our theory."

Seiji shuddered. The thought of losing his lover to a psycho like Takeo...it would be enough to destroy him. He sighed and held his head in his hands, trying to avoid that thought. He heard Yakura say,

"I understand that this is upsetting for you. We can tell you have a deep intimate relationship with him. That is why we are asking for your assistance on this. Our job is to make 100% sure that Hanasaki-kun is safe from Takeo's threats. Will you help us?"

Seiji instantly nodded.

"I'd do anything to be sure he's safe. I don't know much about Takeo, but I know enough to understand he's a crazed psychopath. I'll help you. I'll do anything..."

The two smiled and stood up, followed by Seiji to the door. Just before they left, Yakura turned and said,

"By the way, we never caught your name. You look like someone we've seen in a manga review article."

"Yamada Seiji, sir."

Oishi smiled wide and said,

"Oh I'm such a big fan! Though you're still kind of a rookie, your work is so well crafted."

"Oishi, quit being a fan-boy. We have to go...Seiji, we'll be in touch."

The man nodded again as he shut the door behind the two officers. Well then, this was overwhelming. The whole day was overwhelming. Seiji really didn't know how to process all this sudden information. Groaning, he sat back on the couch and stared at the picture in the plastic bag. He wanted to take it out, but he left it there. Instead, he picked up the bag and stared at the picture.

This...this is what it was like for them in high school...before all the hell started. They all looked so happy. Naoki, alive and pinching the blonds hips. Sono...he looked so young and happy. That smile made Seiji smile to himself. His blond hair flew in the picture...he looked...Seiji couldn't find the words to describe what his lover looked like. Then, he saw what Takeo looked like. And to be honest, he looked nothing like what he had imagined. Takeo looked handsome. His pale skin, jet black hair, striking blue eyes. He could see why Sono dated him for a little while. But then, he could see why he had an affair with Naoki soon after.

Seiji felt his hands shaking and he set it back on the table, unsure what to make of this. Sighing to himself, he got up to walk to the bedroom, then he heard shifting and a slight, painful moan coming from the bed. When he walked inside, he saw Sono trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes, rubbing his forehead. Seiji smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the blonds leg lightly. Sono gave a small chuckle...then said,

"The officers...where-?"

"They left. They said we'll be in touch. Are you alright? You almost had a nasty fall."

Sono groaned and rubbed his head.

"What exactly happened?"

"You passed out...at the mention of...well..."

"Takeo...I remember. God, I feel so stupid. I'm sorry you saw that. It's just I never thought I'd have to ever hear or see him ever again. And to know he's after me...it...it scares me."

Seiji wrapped his arms around the blonds trembling form, rubbing his back. He felt Sono grip onto his shirt with an iron grip, shaking in his arms. The younger kissed his head, whispering,

"Shhh, Sono, relax. It'll be ok. He's not going to find you. And if he did, I'd kill him before he ever got to you. I'll be damned if you have to re-live the hell he put you through all over again. I love you and I will do everything I can to be sure you're safe. I know you can take care of yourself...but you said it yourself as well: When it comes to Takeo, you're helpless."

He felt the blond shudder again, but it was a small tremor. Seiji was really taking a load off of his mind. He was helpless when it came to Takeo...and he was hoping Seiji was enough to keep him safe. After all, Naoki had once said,

"Takeo may be a 'bad boy', but he sure as hell isn't stupid."

God...that was an understatement...

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

A week had gone by since the cops showed up at Sono's door. Since then, they kept their word about staying in touch. They called every two days, usually with just more questions about Takeo and to let them know of anymore information that came in. Yakura and Oishi seemed very dedicated to keeping the two men up to speed on Takeo's movements. Even though it was something one person wasn't prepared to face yet.

Sono was having a difficult time coping with the fact that somewhere out there, Takeo had his face on a platter and was planning something. What it was, he wasn't sure, nor did he really care to know. But either way, it was driving him crazy. True he could put on faces and say he was fine, but anyone who knew him well could see that this was eating him alive. His co-workers saw it. His publisher saw it.

And worse, Seiji saw it. He saw what this was doing to the blond. When he was working, he would just stare at his blank draft. When he wasn't working, he would sit on the couch and just stare at the wall with wide, uncertain eyes. Seiji wasn't sure what he was like alone. But he wasn't really sure if it was good.

So one night, after he found that working on his drafts wasn't going to happen, he walked over to his lovers apartment, just to check up on him. As he walked, he noticed that it wasn't snowing anymore. Now, it was just really cold.

Finally reaching his block, he noticed that the living room light was on. He smiled...it meant Sono was still awake. Sighing, he walked up the steps to the fourth floor and reached his lovers unit. Slowly, he knocked on the door, waiting. He heard shuffling around. Then a crash that made him jump. He heard the locks click and finally the door opened, showing a very stressed out blond male. Seiji was a little stunned at his lovers appearance.

Sono's blond hair was sticking out in all directions, his eyes looked tired and listless. It also looked like he hadn't eaten in a while. But before he could jump to any kind of conclusion, Seiji cleared his throat and asked,

"Um...may I come in?"

Sono nodded and moved so the man could step inside and remove his shoes. Seiji's eyes widened at the sight of his lovers apartment. Papers were thrown carelessly around the place. Along with what looked like sake bottles. How rare. Sono hardly ever indulged in alcohol unless it was a casual outing. The younger turned to look at the other and simply said,

"Sono...tell me...and I know you've told me this before, but I have to hear it again...what exactly...does Takeo do to you? Cause this doesn't look natural to me...like at all."

Sono let out a sigh and walked past him, picking up some papers and set them on his desk. It was quiet between the two of them, the tension think enough to slice a knife through. For a moment, Seiji thought the blond was avoiding the topic. Then he heard him speak up.

"Do you remember...when I told you about that night...my graduation night? How Takeo beat the hell out of me before threatening my life?"

"...Um yeah." Oh yeah, Seiji did remember that part of the story. That part really set him off in his own mind. To hear what a teenage boy did to another was heartbreaking.

"I didn't exactly tell you...what happened after that."

"Excuse me?"

"..."

The blond said nothing as he sat in his chair, sighing and running his hand through his hair. He noticed Seiji just standing there, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Sono itched at his neck, as if trying to claw at a scar.

"After that night, before I left for Tokyo...he sent me a letter. It was a threat message...I threw it away, but I never forgot what it said. It basically said...Enjoy your last few years alive. Because one day, I'm coming back for you. I'm coming back...to make sure you never see the light of day again. I'll make you regret humiliating me...your blood...will coat my gun. I promise you that."

He stopped talking and leaned his head back, exposing the column of his neck. Seiji tilted his head and asked,

"Humiliation? All because you turned him down that night?"

"No...haha...no. It's because of me. He had this insane idea that I'd wait for him. But when he found out that I was sleeping with Naoki...I guess it set him off. He couldn't handle that his wealthy toy was sleeping with someone else after we broke up. He's avoided jail for 10 years after escaping his first trial. Now...now he's going to finish what he started..."

The younger felt a lump in his throat. Sono's tone sounded dark...menacing...he didn't like where this was going. The officers already told him a reason why Takeo might be looking for the blond...but it looked like Sono already had it figured out.

"D-to finish what?"

Sono lowered his head and looked at the younger, his eyes now red. He smiled, but it was a smile of fear and insane sadness.

"He's going to kill me. He's coming back to finish me off...and he'll succeed too...I'm powerless against him...those blue eyes...they're like looking into the eyes of a snake...you're paralyzed with fright if you look for too long. I couldn't defend against him then...and I won't be able to now..."

He slid off his chair and curdled himself into a ball, rocking back and forth. He started crying in his knees, unsure of what else to do. He hated Seiji to see this side of him, but he didn't know what else to do. He was scared. He didn't even know what else to feel. He was feeling fear he hadn't felt in a long time. His crying grew into small sobs, his arms wrapped around his legs, head still buried in his knees.

He wasn't even sure if the other man was still standing there, seeing as he didn't hear from him after a few minutes. His sobs seemed to dim everything else out. But he heard footsteps, then suddenly felt arms wrap around his body, rubbing the back of his head. Instantly, Sono threw his own arms around his back, drawing him closer, sobbing into his shoulder. He felt Seiji's lips against his ear, soft hands rubbing his back through his sweater. They remained in an embrace for what seemed like ever. The younger kneeled in front of the sobbing male in front of him, taking his chin in his fingers to make him look up into his own brown eyes. For a moment, he wanted to cry for seeing what this was doing to his lover, but he had to stay strong for him.

"Listen to me. No one...is going to kill you. Understand? If he lays one hand on you, I'll kill him myself. I told you that. I swore I'd be here when you needed me and dammit, it looks as though you'll need me more than ever. Just...promise me you won't do anything to hurt yourself. I already can't bare the thought of losing you to him and the thought of you hurting yourself cause of him...it's maddening. I love you, Sono and I promised you I'd be here to protect you. I could care less if he's from your past. Good or bad, he's threatened you and that means he's on my list to die. Alright?"

Sono really didn't know what to say. He had never seen Seiji this brave before and to hear him take a stand at Takeo...it was a suicide wish but Seiji was still young and stubborn. Talking him out of this would be pointless. The blond shook his head at the thought of Takeo taking another person from him. No, he had to be sure Seiji wasn't getting into anything he couldn't handle.

"No...no you can't. Seiji, Takeo already took Naoki from me and Naoki was all i had in high school. It tore me to shreds and just when I finally get over it, I'm faced with that possibility that you could die by the hands of the same man. I can't bare that! If he took you from me...I don't know what I would do. He's ruthless and wants me to suffer. If he were to know about you, he'd kill you...oh god...Seiji, please don't go after him. Don't get involved in something you have no power in. I don't care what he does to me...I won't let you die by him..."

"I've already made up my mind. You can't talk me out of this. I want to see him die, taking in his last breath of Gods air. And if that means I have to die in order for him to die as well, so be it. Anything to know you'll be ok. I'm not letting you relive any of his hell. Just trust me. I might be young and inexperienced in a lot of things, but there's no better time to try. I fight for the things I love and I'm a hell of a fighter. He's not going to break me that easily. You watch...I'll fight whatever he throws at me if he tries to get to you."

In that moment, Seiji placed a soft kiss to the top of Sono's quivering head, taking his hand in his. And all of Sono's composure fell to shreds. His sobs grew hysterical into his lovers chest, enough to give him a throbbing headache. But Seiji held onto his head, cradling him to his chest, letting him know that he wasn't about to let go.

They embraced for hours. The younger didn't want to leave the blonds side at all. He had helped him over to his couch and positioned them to where Sono was laying on top of Seiji's chest. The blonds crying had died down to small chocked cries, occasionally gripping tightly to Seiji's jacket. The blond let out soft sighs, trying to calm his breathing. Worried as he already was, he knew Seiji meant well. But that still didn't change the worry. Seiji had pretty much signed a gamble with death by saying he would go against Takeo.

None of that mattered now. He felt Seiji link their hands together and Sono gave a soft smile, small tears rolling down his cheeks. He opened his mouth and whispered,

"I love you..."

He felt a soft hand in his hair and heard,

"I'll always love you."

* * *

><p>Over the next 2 days, work was the last thing on either of their minds. Especially during meetings.<p>

Seiji was out with his friend Yasuda, the only other person who knew about Sono, on a coffee meeting. Seiji had already told him that he didn't think about work, nor could he even try to. He told Yasuda what was going on and it seemed to click with him, being that they switched from the discussion of work to Sono's condition.

"So...how's he been?"

The man exhaled through his nose, staring out the window. He tried to think of a decent answer to his friends question. When nothing really came to mind, he said,

"He's...getting there. I had to stay with him two nights ago to calm him down. This whole business with Takeo is crippling him inside and out."

"I can imagine why. From what you told me, Hanasaki has a long history with him. To think...going to high school with a madman. Takeo's put himself on the most wanted list for a decade. No one's ever really heard of a more psycho killer than him."

"You have no idea. Yasuda, until about 3 weeks ago, I've never seen Sono show any other kind of emotion than happiness and calm. He;s been like a zombie these last few days. Depressed, unsure and the worst. He's scared. I don't think I've ever seen anyone this scared before and I don't know what to do."

"Hey now. You said you'd do anything to keep him safe, remember. You gave him that long speech about it. Don't go weak on him now. He needs you."

Yasuda sighed to himself. Obviously, work was not on their agenda. He stood and said,

"Listen, I'll talk to the publisher about your issue. He needs to know that you're just not focused at the moment...a family matter's come up."

"Like he'll buy that. He knows I can stay focused for a good amount of time. And I don't feel comfortable lying to him. Besides, Sono's not my family. My family died years ago."

Yasuda groaned and punched Seiji on the head, earning a loud yelp. The man rubbed his head, hissing at the sting.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You really are a bit of a blockhead, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"Seiji, how much do you love Hanasaki? Like really? How much does he mean to you?"

The man shut his eyes, but only to push out the pain in his skull. It was a question he always answered to himself.

"I...love him more than I dare to find words for. I never thought I'd find someone like him before and now that I have, I don't want to let him go. Cheesy as it sounds, words can't describe the feelings I have for him. All I know is...I want him with me forever. And I plan to make that happen."

"Then it sounds to me like he's the closest thing to a family you have. Kind of like a wife, but a guy. Bad example, I know. I've seen the way you two are when we're at your place. Like the day I was over and he was helping you out. What was it...4 days after you told me about him? The look in your eyes said it all. You don't just love him. You've fallen hard for him and I can see he has too. And right now, he needs you. I obviously don't know all of the major details but that doesn't matter. Don't you let him go. Got that?"

"Jesus, Yasuda. When did you become a love expert?"

Yasuda chuckled and shrugged.

"When you come from a family that has mostly females all needing help with their love lives, it kinda becomes a mini profession."

They laughed and Seiji found his friend was right. If anything, Sono was the only thing even close to a family he had. And right now, the blond needed him in both emotional and physical support.

Yasuda stretched and asked,

"Have you planned anything for Christmas yet?"

"Kind of. I wanted to see if I could take him back to Fukushima...you know, to see his family again. If not that, then I was thinking we could go to Tokyo for a few days. Get away from work and all the stress...especially now."

"Sounds nice."

Seiji smiled and nodded, sipping his coffee silently. He wanted to give Sono a Christmas that he'd remember forever. Which is why there was a second part to his plan that he dared not to tell Yasuda about. If he did, he'd never hear the end of it.

After a few more hours, they parted ways as Seiji took the bus to head home. On the way, he received a text from Oishi, only to tell him that there were still no leads on Takeo yet, but that they'd keep looking. The man sighed, shutting his phone and looked out the window, feeling the bus come to a stop. He watched as some of the people were walking on and before he had time to react, a man sat next to him, bundled up in black clothes. Seiji payed no mind, but had to admit that he was pretty good looking...well...not as good looking as Sono obviously, but still not half bad.

The mans pitch black hair matched his snow white skin perfectly and from what Seiji could see, he had blue eyes. Speaking of which, those blue eyes locked onto to Seiji's brown, making him jump and babble nervously.

"I-I'm so sorry sir, I didn't mean to stare."

The man smiled and said,

"It's alright. I'm used to it. People don't really see my kind of eyes before. So it's natural that they stare."

Seiji let out an exhale. At least the man was honest about it.

"So, its that why you wear sunglasses? To block your eyes?"

"Sometimes. Only if it's really bright. I can't stand sunlight."

Seiji chuckled and nodded, looking back out the window. After a few minutes, he looked over to see the man reading a manga. To Seiji's surprise, it was one of...

"You read Hanasaki Sono too?"

The man looked at him and smiled again, shutting the manga with a place marker in it.

"Yes, I do. I'm a big fan of his work. I have every issue he's ever drawn. From his very first to the own he's just gotten published. You might say I'm a bit obsessed with him. Well, his work."

"Can't say I blame you. He's got a tender way of working. So genuine...I'm surprised you know he's male. Most people think he's a woman. Have you met him before?"

The man said nothing...Seiji thought he heard the man chuckling, but then he said,

"Well, when you come from the same city as him...it's hard not to know things like-"

The man suddenly stopped talking when the bus came to a stop and the driver called out the stop. The man stood and said,

"I have to be going now. Have some things I need to take care of. But it was very nice talking with you sir."

Seiji nodded and watched the man climb off the bus, walking down the road. When the bus started moving again, Seiji sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. That man was a little odd, that's for sure. The man looked down next to him and saw that he had left his manga on the bus. Seiji looked around before picking it up and opened it to where the place marker was.

It was the center of the manga, most likely one of the profession scenes. But that's not what caught Seiji's eye. What caught his eye was a speech bubble, circled in dark red sharpie. The speech bubble said,

"We are only brought together by the hands of destiny to fate. We became friends by choice...but as lovers...we must be together in death."

All the blood drained from Seiji's face. His hands started shaking...quickly, he turned the manga over and a piece of paper fell out. Still slightly shaken, he picked it up and opened it, reading what the contents held. It read,

'His blood will coat my gun...his heart will be slain on my knife...I'm one step closer to finding him. I need to keep telling myself that. He can't fucking hide forever.'

The paper dropped from Seiji's hands and his eyes were wide with horror. There was no mistake about it now. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Yakura. After a few moments, he heard him pick up.

"Yakura? It's Seiji...look um, I don't know if you're in a position to where you can meet me at my apartment."

'Why? What's wrong?'

"...I think I just met Takeo..."

* * *

><p>AN

Ohhhhh big time drama


	4. Chapter 4

It was quiet in the blonds apartment, quiet and cold. With the winter snow falling from the ground, it did make the inside of the apartment buildings slightly chilly. But it was only because Sono refused to turn his heater on. He had too much on his mind to worry about the heat, or lack there of.

For starters, his dead line was coming up and he promised his publisher he would get it done in time before his Christmas week off. Even then, he was having trouble staying focused. Not because Takeo was still on his mind, god no. He had pushed that away after a while. It was merely writers block, something he never came in contact with. It was frustrating, but he had to push through that as well. Anything to get his time off.

Groaning, he set his pencil down and walked to his kitchen to get some water. It had been a long day; the last thing he wanted to do was work. Sighing, he sipped some water out of the bottle and walked back out into his living room, looking out the open window. He silently watched the wind blow his curtains, slowly moving back and forth...it made him uneasy.

Shivering, he quickly walked over and shut the window, feeling the cold breeze touch his hands and he shivered again. Once he locked the window, he shut his eyes, feeling his forehead bead in sweat.

"Get ahold of yourself, Sono...he's not here..."

Suddenly, the door bell rang, causing the blond to let out a small scream and drop his bottle to the floor. He stared at the door, eyes wide for a moment as he heard the bell ring again. Gulping, he walked towards the door and stared at the phone, unsure if he should answer. Of course, he did.

"Y-yes?"

"I come bearing tidings of hot coffee and sweet rolls if you open the door."

Sono let out a loud, relieved sigh. Thank god...it was Seiji.

Hanging up the phone, he unlocked his door and answered it, smiling at the sight of his lover, who had an ever bigger smile as he walked in the apartment, slipping off his shoes. When he set the coffee cup and the paper bag on Sono's desk, he turned around and wrapped his arms around said blonds waist, kissing his head. Sono smiled and melted in the embrace, nuzzling Seiji's chest.

"God...you answered my prayers. I needed some coffee to keep me up."

Haha, I highly doubt I'm God, but I'm glad I was the answer, or at least brought it to you."

They both laughed softly as the blond went poking through the bag. Sweet red bean rolls...the blond licked his lips as he quickly realized he hadn't eaten in 3 days. He turned to Seiji who was taking off his jacket, placing it on the hook and turned to smile at him.

"I figured you needed something to keep you going after 3 days of busting your ass for a break. Which I know you'll be looking forward to it, especially when you see what I have planned."

Sono chuckled and sipped the coffee, moaning at the sweet taste of creamer.

"And what, need I ask, do you have planned for us this Christmas? It is our first holiday together, after all."

"Mmmm"

Seiji set his arms on Sono's shoulders, kissing the top of his head. Sono almost dropped his drink, feeling the urge to hug the man to his chest. But he held onto his coffee, smiling up at the man who bore his own brown eyes into his.

"I was thinking...we could go to Tokyo for a few days. Spend a few days in the capital. You know, explore the city, go to the Tokyo Tower, whatever you would want to do."

Sono took another sip of his coffee, thinking about what Seiji had planned in his head. Tokyo...it had been a long time since he had been there. And it would be a nice change of scenery. He smiled.

"Even if I said no, you still would've had everything prepared."

"Damn right I do. Plane tickets, hotel reservations, everything."

"Do you always plan ahead?"

"Hehe, with you, I have to."

The blond smiled bigger and leaned up to kiss the mans cheek, setting his cup back on his desk. He then wrapped his arms around Seiji's waist, smiling,

"That sounds relaxing. Clear my head of all my headache causing problems."

"No work, no stress and certainly no Takeo. Just you and me. And I'm pretty sure you'll like the gift I got you."

"Seiji, we talked about this. I know we've been together for a while, but it still feels early to be exchanging-"

"I know...and I don't care. Sono, I put a lot of thought into your gift. You'll love it, I'm sure you will."

"Well then, maybe I should thinking of wrapping your present. Hehe."

They smiled and locked lips, the blond moaning at the feel of Seiji's hands on his back. Seiji loved the taste of the Irish creamer from the coffee lingering in his lovers mouth, making him taste all the more sweeter. When they broke apart, gasping for air, the blond sat back at his desk, picking up his pencil and chewed on it, feeling the other man run his hands up and down his arms. When Seiji asked how much more Sono had to do, the blond gave a weak chuckle and responded with,

"I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do at this point. My heads tired, I've been at this nonstop for 3 days. I barley have time to eat, I hardly even slept, I just want this done. But nothing magical is going to pop on to this paper any time soon...my head hurts..."

Seiji nodded and leaned over to grab a sweet roll from the bag. It was still fresh and hot, which was perfect. He held it in front of Sono's face, waving it around. The blond took it and took a huge bite from it, the sweet taste filling his mouth and he felt amazing when he swallowed it.

The blond ate at least 4 of the 6 sweet rolls Seiji had picked up. Which was good. Seiji had noticed the blond had lost a lot of weight over the last few weeks, not just the few days. He wanted to assume that, well, HE was the cause, but it wasn't entirely so. Sono had a lot of work to finish up before Christmas. Seiji got his drafts finished and submitted a day prior, so he was set until after his break. But Sono had a lot on his mind, so it was no surprise that work was becoming a slow working hassle for him.

After the blond ate the fourth roll, he set his pencil down and rubbed his stomach, groaning in pain.

"I think I ate too fast...guh, my stomach's in knots."

"That's also because you actually ate something. I know this deadline is hard on you, but that doesn't mean you should skip meals for three days. It's not healthy. You'll make yourself sick if you do that."

"I know, I know...I understand, and I'm sorry. I'll try to eat more, but right now, I'm full from just those rolls..."

Seiji got behind the man and got to his knees, reaching around the chair to rub the blonds stomach from under his shirt. Sono let out a soft gasp, leaning back in his chair and leaned his head back. Even from touching Sono's bare stomach, Seiji could now feel how dangerously thin he had gotten. He didn't realize how weak the blonds body could actually become from lack of food. Sighing, he turned the chair around to face him and when it was, he leaned over to kiss his lovers stomach, hugging him around his waist.

Sono was slightly put off by this. He wasn't expecting Seiji to turn him around and kiss his stomach like he was pregnant or something. He felt the mans hands trail up his shirt, brushing past his left nipple. Shivering, the blond clutched Seiji's hand through his shirt, trying to calm down his quivering form. Seiji felt the man shaking violently and looked up at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you alright? You're shaking. Do you not like this?"

"No...I do. I...just..well...I don't...I..."

It wasn't like Sono to start babbling. At all. And it made Seiji all the more suspicious. He removed his hand and set them on the blonds knees, staring up at him. Those concerned eyes grew serious.

"Sono, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Don't lie to me. You're shaking enough to put yourself in a seizure. Now tell me what's wrong."

When the blond refused to meet Seiji's eyes, the man knew something was seriously bothering him. Standing up, he pulled Sono up with him and tilted his head up with his fingers, kissing his cheek. One arm wrapped around his waist to keep him close, the other holding onto his chin. He layed his forehead against his, feeling his shaking die down.

"Talk to me...I told you I'd help you with whatever you needed, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I guess...I'm just feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and overstressed. As I said, I haven't eaten in 3 days, nor have I slept. I'm dead set on getting this done before the holidays, but it's getting hard. I don't know I'm suddenly having a brain block. It's never happened before and it's just irritating me to no end...I'm tired, but I don't want to sleep."

"It sounds to me like all you need is a break from this. I know you want to get this done, but risking your health isn't going to benefit you at all. You're taking a break and I'm putting you to bed. Put this away, finish up those rolls and come on. I'll stay here tonight so you can sleep easier, if you want."

Sono smiled a little and nodded, looking back at his papers. A break sounded amazing. His bed sounded amazing. God, his lover was amazing for actually being here. He rubbed his neck and popped it a few times before setting his papers in a stack, then put them in his bag, saving them for later. Once that was done, he reached into the paper bag and pulled out the last two rolls, devouring them both like they were small.

He walked into his bedroom to change into his night clothes, which normally consisted of just a large shirt and sweats when he didn't want to sleep in his clothes after working. He removed his sweater and rubbed his own stomach, suddenly feeling how thin he was. He hadn't been this thin since...since well his suicide attempt all those years ago. Skipped meals for a week, no sleep for 5 days. Shuddering, he slipped on a large black shirt and some black sweats. He thought he heard his heater turn on, even when it slowly started to heat up in his room.

Suddenly, he felt sleepy. More than sleepy. He felt like all he wanted was the soft pillows, his mattress, his sheets. He felt his eye lids getting heavy as he heard locks being clicked, along with light switches. He felt arms wrap around his waist, lips on his neck.

"You look really tired."

"I can't imagine why...you said you'd sleep over?"

"Only if you want me to."

"I do...so bad."

Seiji smiled and backed away to remove his own clothes. Pretty soon, he was down to his boxers, but put his light jacket on over his chest. Silently, they crawled into bed. Seiji got relaxed on his back, while the blond snuggled over to his chest. The second his head was layed on the other mans chest, Sono was gone. Out cold into slumber. Seiji smiled down at him, running his finger through his blond hair, playing with a loose strand. He wasn't tired just yet, but he did enjoy staying over at the blonds home. Partly because they hardly spent time together as a couple as it stood, another part because lately Sono would ask him to, but mostly because the blond just looked so damn angelic when he was asleep.

He looked peaceful, like literally nothing would disturb him from his sleep. Especially now. It looked as though he could sleep through a storm after the few days he's had. His breathing evened out and he mindlessly clutched onto Seiji's jacket, shifting to get comfortable. The man laughed softly, but then shut his eyes, feeling himself fall into slumbers wondrous embrace.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Sono's eyes snapped open suddenly, gasping for air. He sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes, which were wet with tears...

He groaned to himself...'not another one...not another nightmare...'

He looked over to the other side of the bed, seeing his lover sleeping soundly next to him. It made Sono smile, if only for a little bit. He wiped the tears from his eyes, trying not to think about whatever he was dreaming about. Slowly, he layed back down, rubbing his head, trying to soothe his headache. He heard shifting for a few moments, followed by,

"Another one?"

Sono groaned again. God...Seiji knew him too well. Well, plush the dried tear tracks on his face, added to his bloodshot eyes, kind of gives it away. He nodded and sighed, his hand never leaving his forehead. He felt the man removed his hand and kiss it, laying in on his own stomach.

"Was it about Takeo again?"

"Am I that easy to read?"

"I just want to know. Was it?"

Sono let out a sad sigh and shook his head. Surprisingly, it wasn't about Takeo again. No it was about something different.

"It was about my dad."

"Your dad?"

"Yeah...my dad. I dreamt that I was back in high school, only there was no Naoki to protect me. And he was so much more brutal. He would hit me with glass and sticks, sometimes bats and other blunt objects he would find. Eventually, he put me in the hospital for internal bleeding...while I was there, I heard his taunting voice 'You are a mistake'...I started crying and begged him to forgive me...then I woke up..."

Seiji layed his chin on the blonds chest, staring into his eyes, even though Sono's eyes were closed. He sighed and said,

"Sono, how often do you talk with your family?"

"Heh, funny. I haven't spoke to them in years."

Seiji's head popped up and his eyes were wide with stun. The blond looked at him with a confused stare.

"What?"

"You haven't-Sono, they're your family. Regardless of what happened, you should still at least keep in touch with them. Why haven't you talked to them?"

"I just...assumed they didn't want to hear from their slutty mistake."

Sono quickly turned on his side, hiding his face in the pillow. He felt tears coming, but he pushed them back. Meanwhile, Seiji sat there, staring at him dumbfounded...slutty mistake. Who would call themselves that? Well, it was true that Sono had tendencies of being a slut, but that was all behind him now. Why would-

It was then Seiji remembered a part in Sono's story. When his father said,

_'As far as I'm concerned, we only have one son. The other...he's a mistake.'_

Seiji felt his heart throb for his lover. He couldn't imagine if his father called him a mistake. It was no wonder Sono hated talking about his dad, let alone his mom or his brother. Reaching out, he petted his lovers hair gently, massaging his scalp.

"Would you ever want to see them again."

"No...they don't want to see me...I'm sure they don't."

"Well, how can you be sure?"

"I just do! Can we please just drop it?"

Seiji nearly fell backwards as Sono suddenly snapped at him. But it didn't take long before the blond quickly realized what happened and he gasped.

"I'm sorry, Seiji. I...I don't know where that came from..."

"It's ok. I understand...I know it's hard to face your family, but maybe one day you will...let's go back to sleep. I don't want to upset you more."

"No no...it's alright. I'm not upset...just a little...I don't know...frustrated with life at the moment."

Seiji leaned over and kissed Sono's head, laying him back down and pulling the blanket over him. The blond shut his eyes and relaxed, feeling his lovers hand gently touch his face.

"I still love you, you crazy blond mentalist."

"Hehe, thanks...I love you too."

The blond shut his eyes and slowly relaxed into slumber once again, resting his head on his lovers chest. Smiling, Seiji continued to run his hands through Sono's hair soothingly, hearing his soft moans. It was moments like this that Seiji was grateful for having his lover with him, or vice versa. It was like Sono was a child, craving comfort. And Seiji was happy to provide such warm comfort. No stress...no pain...no Takeo...even though Seiji wouldn't tell Sono about his encounter with who he could assume was Takeo. Granted, he wasn't even sure it was Takeo, but from the description Sono had given him...it was a very likley chance.


	5. Chapter 5

3 days left. Three days left until Christmas. And Seiji was BEYOND excited. Not only was he thrilled to have Sono over in Tokyo with him for the holidays, but the blond had finished up his work just in time, so there were no worries about him finishing it after their vacation.

The man smiled as he zipped up his suitcase. It was like he was a little kid packing to go to Disney Land. With the Christmas present safely tucked inside a jacket pocket in the suitcase, he was all set and ready to go. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing his lovers number. For a moment, it just rang and rang. Finally,

_'H-hello?'_

"Hey, it's me. I have my suitcase packed. You ready to put your things in the car too?'

_'Yeah, I am. I'll be over in a few minutes. Just need to lock up my house. See you soon.'_

'Hehe, see you soon.'

Seiji hung up and smiled to himself. It was hard to believe they could get the time off and be able to head to Tokyo for a week. Being able to spend the holidays with the love of his life. Seiji blushed and thought the present in his suitcase. He was beginning to panic. What if Sono didn't like it? Would he like it? God, it was all too nerve wracking.

Running his fingers through his hair, he walked and set his suitcase near the door, hearing the door bell ring. He looked through the peep hole and smiled again. Opening the door, he nearly tore it off his hinges.

The blond smiled and wrapped his free arm around Seiji's neck when he leaned in for a kiss. He felt the mans arms wrap around his waist, tickling his back. Sono chuckled into the kiss, almost dropping his suitcase. When they broke apart, Seiji took the suitcase and set it by the door, leading his lover inside. Once the door shut, Seiji pressed Sono up against it, kissing him with all he had. The blond let out a soft moan, clutching onto the mans sleeves, trying to match his tongue's movements.

Seiji broke apart from the kiss and leaned over to kiss the blonds pale neck, licking up the vein. Sono gasped, clutching onto the mans shoulders tightly, feeling his body heat up madly. His knees starting shaking when he felt Seiji's own knee press up against his groin. He felt the knee gently move up and down, earning his lovers sudden moans and gasps.

Sweat started forming down Sono's forehead as he felt the knee press harder against his groin, feeling himself get harder with ever second.

"S-Seiji..."

"You like this?"

"Yes..D-don't stop...I'm so close."

Smirking, Seiji lowered his knee, noting how desperate Sono was becoming after a few days. He heard his blond lover groan loudly in annoyance, nails digging into his sleeve. Seiji smiled and kissed his cheek, walking over to the kitchen, hearing Sono sit on his couch. The man wondered what he was doing. Was he possibly...touching himself on his couch, moaning and writhing in pleasure, thinking of his body pressed against his and-

Seiji felt his face go beat red and he started to drool. He liked to think his lover touched himself sometimes, though it was pretty doubtful. He shook his head madly, trying to get the thought out of his head. Sighing, he walked to the fridge, pulled out two bottles of water and walked back into the living room, seeing that the blond was relaxing on his couch, reading a book. Smiling, Seiji set the bottles on the coffee table and sat on the foot of the couch, rubbing Sono's pale feet.

Sono chuckled, looking over his book and asked,

"What are you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm rubbing your feet. I like pampering you."

"Pampering? Seiji, I'm not a 21 year old girl, you know. I'm a guy...I don't need to be spoiled."

Then Seiji gave him the most loving smile he had ever seen. And it was that smile that made Sono's face turn beet red, especially when Seiji's thumb pressed against a sore muscle in his foot. The man kissed the sole of his foot, whispering,

"Say what you want. I like spoiling you."

The blond sighed in defeat, leaning back so his lover could massage his feet. It seemed like the more Seiji's fingers dug into his sore muscles, the more Sono would let out a shocked moan and bit his lip, not allowing the man to hear him. He felt the man continue to rub his sore muscles, noting how those brown eyes stared at him lovingly.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine...just not used to being spoiled."

"Really? You'd think that someone from a wealthy family would be used to this."

"My family may be wealthy, but we were never spoiled. If anything, Oto spoiled me a little, but nothing like this. I guess it's nice though."

Seiji smiled and leaned over to kiss the blonds lips lightly, running his fingers up and down his thigh. Sono let out a soft moan and wrapped his arms around the mans neck, bringing him in closer to the kiss. Their kiss grew longer as Seiji pinned the blond to the couch, running his fingers through his hair. When they broke apart, they locked eyes and smiled at each other. The younger kissed Sono's head and got off the couch, stretching.

"I am looking forward to this trip. It's going to be so relaxing. Tokyo's going to be awesome."

"Mmmm especially during this time of year. Tokyo at Christmas is so beautiful. The lights, the music, it's comforting. I remember my first Christmas in Tokyo. Tatsuya and I went to a party and he got really drunk. We almost got expelled from school because of it...still fun though."

"I'm sure we'll have fun too. I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with you."

"I am too...it'll be a nice change from all the stress of the last few weeks."

The younger nodded and plopped down next to him on the couch, letting out a soft sigh. Sono brought his knees to his chest, smiling at him before slowly crawling over to him and laying his chin on his lap. He then felt Seiji's hand on his head; he chuckled.

"What time does our flight leave tomorrow?"

"I think...11 a.m. So I figure we should head to sleep pretty soon."

"Good, cause I'm getting a little sleepy. It's been a crazy day."

"I can imagine."

The two men let out soft sighs and the younger got off the couch, leading the blond into his room. They didn't bother having sex that night, being they had to be up so early. They simply got undressed and went right to sleep, dreaming of the up coming holidays. At some point, Seiji leaned over to wrap his arms around the blonds thin waist, rubbing his stomach. He heard said blond let out a gentle sigh of content, making Seiji grin to himself. This was going to be a great week.

However, the 'fun part' was waiting at the airport for their flight. An hour before they would board, Seiji yawned and layed his head on Sono's shoulder, noticing how the blond looked really into the magazine he was reading. Feeling nosey, Seiji peeked over at what his lover was reading and his eyes widened. He also grew a little aggrivated. Sitting up, he snatched the magazine out of Sono's hands and set it on the table next to them. At first, the blond was stunned, the next, he was annoyed.

"What the hell? I was reading that."

"I thought we agreed we wouldn't bring stress with us on this trip. Having you read articles about him isn't going to help ease your mind. I told you. He's not going to find you."

The blond sighed and rubbed his neck, nodding. Seiji was right, but it was hard to just ignore it. When one of Japan's top 5 serial killers puts you at the top of their hitlist...and makes it pubilclly known, it was hard to just, well, relax.

He felt his lovers arm rub his shoulder in comfort and he smiled. Why should he be worried? Seiji wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. True, Sono could take care of himself. But when it came to something like...well...HIM, it was like he was a lost child.

All in all though, Sono found he shouldn't worry so much. If Seiji promised he'd be there, he'd be there. He quietly linked his hand into the youngers hand, smiling to himself as Seiji blushed a little.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they heard,

"Cabin a-c, flight 1227 from Osaka to Tokyo, now boarding."

Grinning, Seiji stood and grabbed his carry on, the blond slowly following. They gave the woman their tickets and walked through to the plane.

The plane ride was easy and relaxing, even though it was rather short. The two spent all of it talking about work, laughing about their late drafts from time to time. When the plane landed, and everyone bustled to get off, the two linked their arms and walked over to baggage claim. The Tokyo International airport was like a zoo, but they managed to get through and get a taxi to their hotel.

Unknown to Sono, however, Seiji took great care when making hotel reservations. Because it was their first Christmas together, he wanted everything to be perfect. So, even though it was highly expensive, the taxi pulled in front of a large hotel and informed them of their arrival. Seiji payed the man and the two got out to get their bags. Stepping inside was like stepping into a winter wonderland. It was decorared beyond imagination. And because the inside of the hotel was already seemingly white, it looked like the snow from outside, snowed inside. It was beautiful.

The lobby may have been beautiful but their room...it was heaven. Sono felt like he just wanted to drop his bags and plop on their bed, ignore everything else. It's kind of what he did. Dropping his suitcases, he ran and jumped on the plushy bed, chuckling at how soft it was. He heard his lover chuckle with him and soon, the bed drooped and brown eyes locked with brown. Smiling, Sono brought Seiji down for a soft kiss, rubbing the back of his neck. When they broke apart, the blond poked his forehead and whispered,

"There's no way this was just a 'last minute' reservation. Hotels like these require at least a few months notice."

"Don't deny. You love it just as much as I do. I went through a lot of trouble to get a spot here for us. Christmas time is when they really start getting packed."

"Oh I won't deny. It's nice...it's very nice..."

Seiji saw the blond get really quiet and he smiled softly, twirling a strand of yellow hair in his finger. Their eyes locked again and the older gave Seiji his smile...the same smile Seiji fell in love with.

"I guess you really do spoil me and I just never realized it."

"Hehe," Seiji grinned like a child and sat on Sono's hips, staring down at him with a large smile. "So, what did you want to do while we're here?"

"Hmm, well, we're here till the 27th...maybe...go walk around the city, take in the sights. It's only the 23rd after all. We have plenty of time."

The 24th

Their first day, all they did was lounge in their room, relaxing from the plane ride. On their second day, Christmas Eve, they went roaming around the large city, breathing in Tokyo's Christmas air. The people were nice and generous, making jokes with them and talking with them.

In the morning, they had breakfast in their hotel, after which they each took a shower (together :3) and planned out their day. In the afternoon, they went through Shibuya and Sono showed Seiji where his school was when he first lived in Tokyo and how much it had changed through the years. After the dean explained the changes, Seiji noticed Sono get pale and complain about how he was getting old. It made Seiji laugh and tell the blond that age was only a number. And that Sono may be 32, but he had the mentality of a mature 25 year old. It helped a little, though the blond was still in a somber mood the rest of the day.

That evening, they ate at a small sushi bar, and it seemed the blond was in a better mood. He felt Seiji connect their hands and he smiled.

"So...I'm not old."

"If you think over 30 is old, you must have some serious issues with age. Haha. Sono, I told you. It's just a number. It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm overthinking it...Besides, if I think over 30 is old, then that must mean you're still an infant."

Sono couldn't held the giggle he had hidden behind his drink as Seiji dropped to the floor in emmbarrsement. Then he was hearing all the way back to the hotel 'Why did you say that?' or 'Sono, do you really think I'm too young?'. Ok, it probably wasn't the best thing to say, but Sono inwardly loved how Seiji was making a big deal about his own age when he himself said age was just a number.

When they got back to their room, Seiji's questions kept piling up. It was time to stop. Once that door was shut, the blond pinned his lover to the door and attacked his lips, his hands gripped his lovers jacket tightly. It surprised Seiji a little bit, but it did stop his questioning. When Sono broke away, he licked his lips and smiled.

"Seiji..relax. It was a joke. Obviously not the best joke, but a joke nonetheless. You're not an infant in my eyes. In my eyes, you're a mature young man with a bright future. You're also a mature young man that I fell hard for. Ok? You're not a child. So please stop asking me if I think you are."

All the muscles in Seiji's body eased up quickly. He leaned his head back and let out a sigh.

"Jesus, don't scare me like that. I figured it was a joke. I guess when you discuss age, it's hard to tell the differeance between seriousness and joking around...we really need to get out more."

"Haha, that we do."

They both got quiet for a few moments before Seiji wrapped his arms around the blonds waist, kissing the top of his head.

"Tomorrow's Christmas. God, I'm looking forward to spending our first major holiday together. Are you?"

"Mmm you have no idea."

They kissed again, this time with a lot more passion. Everything felt perfect, like nothing was going to ruin anything for them. The two collapsed on the bed, Seiji's hands roaming up his lovers sweater. He heard Sono let out a sharp gasp and he quickly backed away, suddenly panicking of what happened.

"What it it?"

"Nothing...your hands are just really cold. It surprised me."

"Oh...man, I thought I hurt you or something. Scary."

"Mmmm...maybe we should save this for tomorrow night. I'd like us to connect on Christmas."

Then Seiji saw the usually calm smile change into a devlish smirk. It was something the man hadn't seen before.

"Besides, I've been good this year. I'd like Santa to bring me something...fun."

All the blood that didn't trail into Seiji's face went further south. He wasn't really sure how to respond to that. And it took him a couple of moments to register it. But by the time he had, Sono chuckled and tickled his lovers sides, saying,

"I'm going to sleep. I'll leave you to ponder what I said for tomorrow."

He kissed the man on the cheek and removed his sweater, changing into his night clothes and went to sleep soon after. All the while, Seiji still sat on the end of the bed, slightly put off. He was still slightly new to a lot of sexual inuendos. Was that a subtle one? Guh, he didn't know.

He shook his head and stared at his sleeping lover. It made him smile and reach out to stroke his hair. It was hard to believe it had been at least 7 months they'd been together. It was a long time and this was the first relationship where Seiji felt happy. All the others just seemed pointless. With Sono, he felt at peace. He felt a lot stronger since they had met.

Stretching, Seiji removed his clothes and got dressed in his sweats, crawling into bed with the blond, wrapping his arms around him. He set a soft kiss to the back of his head and shut his eyes, falling asleep, wanting Christmas to get here faster. He had a whole night of dreaming about how his lover would react to his gift. Plus, since Sono said they'd save their activities for Christmas night, he had plenty of time to think of some sexual inuendos, cliche' as they probably could be.

* * *

><p>AN

Yes, I'm aware that Christmas sexual inuendo is slightly cliche'...but oh well, it's a fanfic. Lol


	6. Chapter 6

The Tokyo sun was shining through the windows that next morning. Snow was falling from the sky, people bustling about.

Seiji groaned, not wanting to get out of bed yet. Sighing next, he opened his eyes and was greeted with yellow hair from the bottom of his vision. He smiled and ran his hands through his lovers messy hair. Sono must've sprawled himself on top of him in the middle of the night.

Yawning, he ran his fingertips up and down Sono's arm, feeling him shiver and stir. Rubbing his eyes, he watching as the blond tried to wake up, rubbing his own eyes with his palms. Seiji chuckled and took his hand, kissing his knuckles. It was always a thrill to see Sono wake up naturally rather than forcefully...Seiji learned that the hard way and learned just how scary his lover could be. This morning wasn't the case and the younger kissed the blonds head, mumbling,

"Good Morning, sleeping beauty."

Sono's tired eyes stared up at him. Seiji knew that the blond was a little grumpy with being woken up so early, but he smiled regardless.

"Good Morning...mmm what time is it?"

Seiji turned to look at the hotel clock and groaned to himself. How in the hell was it this early and sunny outside?

"Looks to me like it's a little after 7 am."

"7 am? Ohhh Seiji why are we up so early? It's Christmas...can't we sleep in?"

Sono made his point when he curdled up next to the man, obviously not wanting to move. Seiji laughed a little to himself. Such a grown man, yet he acted like a child sometimes. He lightly moved him so he could get out of bed. Very gently, he made the blond comfortable, covered him up and kissed his head. Afterwards, he got dressed to go and grab something to eat. He took a quick look at the blond, still tangled in the sheets, sound asleep. His yellow hair sticking out in all different directions. Seiji couldn't help but think the blond looked really cute this way. And with that thought in mind, he left with his wallet.

About 10 minutes later, Sono slowly woke up again, groaning as he rubbed his eyes. The sun was shining into their room and it was then Sono cursed the sun for being so damn bright all the time. Pointless, but then, when you're not a morning person, it didn't matter. He sat up and stretched his back, feeling his bones suddenly and he let out a soft whimper. After his stretch, he rubbed his forehead, mumbling...

"Jesus...my head's throbbing..."

He was tempted to get out of bed for some water, but he felt like being lazy and decided to ask Seiji to get it. However, when he called his name out, he was returned with sudden silence. Suddenly aware he was alone, he looked around the room, seeing that Seiji had left already. Curious, the blond stretched again, feeling more muscles popping in his back, right as the door opened. Sono smiled as his lover walked in with two cups of coffee and some pasteries. Seiji set the stuff on the desk and smiled at the blond in his current state. His hair was so messed up and sticking out everywhere, his skin flushed from sleep.

"You look like you slept in a hurricane. Well, you were tossing and turning all night before you finally settled down. Did you sleep ok?"

The blond nodded and got out of bed, stretching again.

"I slept great. Had some wonderful dreams...sorry if I kept you awake with my tossing and turning."

"No, you didn't keep me up. I was a little curious as to what you were trying to accomplish. But in the end, you ended up all over my chest. Haha."

Seiji chuckled as a deep blush contrasted against Sono's pale cheeks. Taking a coffee cup in hand, he handed it to the blond and kissed his blushing cheek.

"Oh by the way...Merry Christmas."

Sono smiled and sipped his coffee after saying 'Merry Christmas'.

If anything, the whole day was one huge romantic getaway. Couples were getting their pictures taken at parks and by Tokyo Tower. It was interesting. Certainly something the two men wouldn't do, but it was a comforting gesture. They wished people passing by a Merry Christmas, smiling as they returned the gesture. Small children nrunning by offered them candy, to which the blond accepted. Such a sweet tooth he had, Seiji noticed. Fresh snow from the sky to the ground, giving the day its cold feel.

At around 8 at night, the two decided it was time to retire to their hotel again. They had eaten a lovley dinner with another couple they met at the park who were celebrating their 20th anniversary. Seeing how much in love those two were sparked something in Seiji's heart. That was a sign. A sign to where he had to tell Sono how he really felt.

When they returned to their hotel room, Seiji quickly placed a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door and locked it just in case. As Sono was removing his jacket, he felt arms trail around his waist, making him smile. When he felt warm lips on his neck, he giggled.

"Seiji, that tickles."

"Never stopped me before. Hehe. Did you have a good day?"

"Mmmm the best. It was such a beautiful day."

"Well, I wouldn't say the best yet. We have plenty of holidays ahead of us...oh that reminds me. I have something for you. Be right back."

Sono felt Seiji break away from him and walk over to his suitcase, pulling out a small box. Knowing that they were about to exchange gifts, Sono quickly ran and pulled out his gift from his bag and set it in his pocket. Turning to face the man, who was now right in front of him, the blond smiled.

Seiji leaned down to give the blond a small kiss, running his fingers through his hair. Then, he broke apart and asked,

"You know how much you mean to me, right?"

"You've told me once or twice."

Smiling softly, Seiji took a deep breath. This was it. No going back and no making regrets. He exhaled and shuddered. He was so...freaking...nervous.

His set one hand in his pocket, the other reaching to cup Sono's cheek, making him stare into those eyes. Feeling the tension slowly building, he pulled out his small box and gently set it in Sono's left hand. It was silent, and Sono felt his eyes burning onto the little black box in his palm. With his shaking right hand, he opened the box...and let in a small intake of air.

Inside the black box, it was lined with red velvet. Sitting in the red velvet was a small silver ring, with small diamonds circling around. Now the blond could see why Seiji looked horribly nervous. But Sono couldn't think of anything to say. He was in awe of what he was staring at. He felt Seiji's hands take the box from him and within seconds, there was a silver ring around Sono's left ring finger. Sono just stared at it, thinking it wasn't real. But it was. Finally, after a few moments, he opened his mouth, trying to form words.

"Wha..I..this is..."

"I understand you're a little stunned by this. And I'm sorry. But it's taken me a lot of thought, time and effort to do this. I love you. I've loved you for such a long time and it's eating me up. I try to find the words to use to explain how much you really mean to me. It took me until that night at your apartment to realize it. When you broke down in front of me. Sono, I want us to be together for as long as life intends us to be. I love you and I want this with you. I just hope you see things the way I see them."

On the outside, Sono's eyes were wide and suddenly filling with tears. On the inside, he was screaming. This is exactly, EXACTLY, what Naoki had said to him before he was killed. He couldn't bare to go through that again with Seiji. But the look that Seiji was giving him. Naoki never gave him that sort of look. Without trying to stop them, small tears fell from his eyes and he clutched his hand to his heart, unsure of how to take this information. But he knew how to respond to it.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his present to his lover. Seiji silently took the long box and opened it, eyes gaping at what he was staring at.

It was a braclet. A long, silver braclet. On the small plane in the middle, in pure Hirigana, was Sono's name. Seiji looked at the blond, as if asking what this was. And Sono responded, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"When...when my brother asked Miyuki to marry him...she went out and bought him a braclet with her name engraved on it. She said...'so you feel like I'm always with you, even when we're not together.' That inspired me to do the same with you...Seiji, words can't describe what I'm feeling right now. I...I feel like my heart's about to burst out of my chest."

"Really?"

"Yes...I've never felt this way before. I mean...god, I don't know. But, Seiji, this gift you've given me...I can't tell you how much this means to me."

Seiji let out a loud sigh of relief. He was certain that the blond would reject his gift, saying it wasn't the right time for that. But oh no. Here he was, crying and staring at it. Suddenly, Seiji became aware of the box in his hand. He took the silver braclet out and wrapped it around his wrist, so the name was sticking up at him. He smiled and looked at the blond, who was no longer crying, but his eyes were still slightly red. Seiji wrapped his arms around the blond and kissed him, taking in everything he could.

They broke apart for a few seconds, then began kissing again, tumbling backwards on the bed. But neither of them noticed. They were too busy ravaging each others warm mouths. Seiji licked the bottom lip of his lovers mouth, begging for an enterance. He felt it open slightly and pushed his tongue inside, earning a surprised moan from the man below him. This pressed Seiji to move further ahead, starting with trailing his hand up Sono's black sweater, rubbing his stomach. Sono could feel the cold metal of the braclet touching his skin and it only turned him on more. He felt Seiji's hand trail higher and higher until it reached his destination.

The blonds head snapped backwards as he felt Seiji's fingers fondle his nipple, teasing it to full hardness. Sono shivered, one hand clutching the blankets, the other snapped to hold Seiji's hand there, the only barrier being his shirt. Seiji smiled and kissed his nose, saying,

"Your hearts beating madly against my hand. Do you like this?"

Sono nodded and smiled back at him, releasing his hand and allowed him to continue teasing. Seiji grabbed the bottom of the blonds shirt and moved it up, taking it off the pale body and tossing it to the floor. He leaned forward to kiss his lovers pale neck, licking up the vein and down to his collar bone. He could feel Sono's throat tightening and relaxing with every kiss against his flesh.

Suddenly, Sono let out a wild gasp as Seiji bit down hard on his neck, puncturing his skin. Seiji had never bitten this hard before. Not hard enough to break his skin. But Sono felt a small trail of warm liquid flow from the bite. He let out sharp gasps as he felt his lover lick up his blood like a vampire, licking and sucking at the wound. Pretty soon, he felt Seiji's warm lips on his ear, whispering,

"Mine. I won't let anyone else touch you."

And as much as that sentence frightened the blond, just a little, it also made him rather excited. Seiji was never one to be preditorial. But that bite on his neck proved that Seiji Yamada had a beastly preditor laying dormant in his soul, waiting for the perfect moment to be released. In reality, Sono wanted to see it. Maybe not now, but one day.

He reached up and wrapped his arms around his younger lovers neck, smiling at him. Seiji's lips were slightly red with Sono's blood, but that made this moment all the more...exotic.

"What's gotten into you tonight? It's like you're a different person."

"Mmm, let's just say, this morning before I left to get us coffee, I had a heart to heart with myself about how I wanted this night to go. So far, I'd say it's going good. You?"

"Good? Seiji, I've never seen you this way in bed before. Frightening yes, but at the same time..."

Sono leaned up and whispered into his lovers ear, with the most seductive, wettest voice Seiji ever heard,

"I love it. And I want to see more."

That was all it took. Seiji pinned his lover to the bed, holding both of his wrists with one hand and noticed that the blond gave a small sound of discomfort, so he eased his grip. He could feel the heat radiating from between the blonds legs, as well as his own. He dipped his head and took a pink nipple into his mouth, sucking greedly on it, relishing in his lovers gasps and moans.

Seiji released the blonds wrists for a moments so he could continue his trail down the blonds body, kissing his chest, his stomach. He dipped his tongue inside the blonds bellybutton, earning a surpised squeck. The younger smirked and gently unbuttoned the blonds black jeans, pulling them off his long legs. Once they were off, the boxers were the next to go. But just as he gripped the waistline, Sono's pale hands stopped him, earning Seiji's confused, not to mention concerned look.

"Too fast?"

The blond quickly shook his head.

"No, it's not that. It's just...you almost have me naked...I want to see you too."

Seiji blushed and looked away, making Sono chuckle to himself. He sat up and helped the younger out of his shirt and jeans, leaving them both in their boxers. As soon as Seiji's jeans hit the floor, he grabbed Sono's wrists and pinned him to the bed again, this time a little rougher. Not that the blond minded though. He was so turned on he felt he would burst at any given moment.

He felt his lovers lips against his ear again, also feeling his boxers being pulled down by Seiji's free hand, hearing them hit the ground. He shivered, he ached all over. He had never felt so hot in most of his life. He thought he heard something else hit the floor, but he didn't care to know what it was. All he cared about at the moment was Seiji's lips on his ear and Seiji's groin pressed so close against his own.

He shuddered madly when he felt Seiji's tongue trail his earlobe, followed by,

"Tell me, have you been good this year?"

Slightly put off by the question, Sono opened his eyes a little, trying to find his words through his foggy brain and his panting breath.

"Wh-what?"

"I asked you a question. Have you been good this year?"

When Sono didn't answer right away, mostly because he was confused, Seiji lightly thrusted against him, but not enough to cause blinding friction. But even still there was friction. Sono felt it and he gasped, yanking at Seiji's hand. It was then he finally understood the question and it made him smile a little.

_'Really...Christmas sex talk...not bad for a beginner...two can play this game'_

Seiji's eyes widened at the look of unnatural desperation written all over his lovers face. He had the look of a teasing virgin deep within his eyes. He licked his lips as the blond whimpered out,

"Yes sir...I've been very good this year..do I get a nice present?"

Seiji had to admit. Christmas sex inuendo was a little cliche but damn, this was just too good to pass up. Whereas he was just now starting this for the first time, chances were that Sono had done something similiar like this before. And the so called innocient stare Sono was giving him...it made him throb, literally throb. Figuring that he should continue playing along, he leaned in closer and whispered,

"You know, I think I saw your name on my _naughty_ list."

By emphsysing naughty, he gripped Sono's wrists tighter, hearing him gasp. But that was nothing compared to what came after that.

"You know what naughty people get? **Lumps**..of **coal**...in their...**stocking**."

With each passing word, he thrusted his hips roughly against Sono's aching need and each time, the blond would arch and gasp loudly, seeking that friction.

Fuck, if Seiji knew how easily he could push all of Sono's buttons, surley it would be the death of him. But this was too much. The blond was now at the point of no control and it didn't take very long to get there. He yanked at Seiji's hand again, failing and heard a small chuckle.

"Ah ah ah. That's only going to get you further on my naughty list. I don't think you'd want a big lump of coal, would you?"

Again, he thrusted up against the blonds body, this time rougher. In the words of reality, that's all she wrote. All of Sono's calm composure vanished in less than 3 seconds. He yanked harder and harder against his lovers hand, only yo have him tighten his grip. His head was tossing back and forth, a dark blush gracing his pale features. But Seiji knew he wouldn't beg. But oh would he make him beg.

With his free hand, he placed it between Sono's legs, gently stroking him, teasing him. When that only got him small moans, he lowered his hand to caress his soft sac, rolling it gently in his palm. That got a very good reaction. Sono was near tears at this point. Especially when he felt Seiji's fingers prodding against his enterance, gently appyling pressure. He felt the first finger slide in, surprisingly with ease. Testing his luck, he thrusted another finger in, again with ease. Seiji was rather surprised, but amused all at once. He slid 2 more fingers in, feeling the blond quickly tighten up on the other two. He started thrusting his fingers deep inside his core, teasing him.

Seiji wanted to see Sono's wall of composure break. He had seen it crack a few times, especially after he was told his life story. But Seiji wanted that wall to come down completley. He was never truley certain if Sono enjoyed what they did in bed, even if he said countless times that he did. Well, tonight that was going to change. Seiji was going to break him down. He wanted Sono to absolutley lose himself.

He gave a hard thrust of his fingers, hearing the blond gasp and quickly bite his lip. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. He had never felt so hot and aroused and...all these feelings mudled together. It was driving him crazy with lust.

Suddenly, he felt the fingers slid out and he whimpered, wanting to feel them again. But he then felt Seiji's lips against his forehead and his eyes snapped open, locking in on Seiji's concerned look. Panting a little, Sono asked,

"Why'd...why did you stop?"

"Because I want to know if you truley like this. I'm not hurting you, am I?"

It was then Sono realized that his lovers grip on his wrists was looser, but he made no move to escape. Seiji made him crazy. He didn't need this right now. To prove his point, he locked his legs around Seiji's waist, pulling him closer. The suddenness of it made Seiji gasp a little, but the lustfull look in Sono's eyes said it all. And it made Seiji smirk. Yes, the wall was broken through. Now it was time to tear it down.

Gripping the blonds wrists again, he had him spread his legs as much as he could. When he did, he yanked on Seiji's hand again, feeling it grip him tighter, making him gasp in slight pain. But for some reason, he liked it. He liked feeling pain. It was somewhat of a pleasure fetish he had. He moaned and arched his back, whimpering,

"Tighter. Grip me tighter."

Only wanting to comply with what he wanted, Seiji gripped the blonds wrists as tight as he could before thrusting into his body, fast and to the hilt. He had never heard such a pleasurable scream erupt from his lovers lips before and for a moment, he was afraid the other hotel guests would hear them. He halted in place, waiting for Sono to give him some kind of comand.

"Move...now."

Surprised by the commanding tone, Seiji gripped his lovers hip with his free hand and thrusted like a mad man into his lovers body. And the screams that he was letting out. Seiji was now really afraid someone was going to hear them, but as of now, he could care less.

Pressing harder into him, Seiji brought the blonds legs up to his ears, licking his neck, sucking at it. The tension of his thrusting made his grip on his lovers wrists tight enough to where he could feel them getting cold really fast. He slowed his thrusting, coaxing his blond lover into a state of madness.

He could literally feel Sono's aggrivation from the inside of his body as he tossed and turned his head all over, panting,

"Don't slow down. Please, go faster. Please. Make me scream."

How odd that Sono was behaving like a wanton whore at the moment, but again, Seiji couldn't bring himself to care. If his lover wanted to scream, then he would make it so. He slammed back into his lover, HARD. Now he was screaming. With each thrust, Sono let out the most uncharaceristic screams Seiji ever heard. And the begging. That was new. Sono hardly ever begged, even if things were hot enough to where he was whimpering. But now, it was,

"Yes! Yes! Deeper! Oh god, deeper! Don't stop...just like that. Oh don't stop!"

It was all new, but Seiji knew those sounds. He had broken down Sono's wall. That iron clad wall of calm and composure in bed was no more. Seiji had let loose a side of Sono Hanasaki that he'd be damned if anyone else saw it. And it...was...ASTOUNDING.

Feeling his orgasm suddenly approaching, Seiji's thrusts became harsher and undefined, biting into the blonds neck roughly, breaking more skin. He heard his lovers moans and screams grown louder in his ear, his body clamping down on him every second. Within seconds, without even being touched, the blond arched and let out a loud ear shattering scream, feeling his chest surrounded in wet warmth.

Just hearing that scream drew Seiji to his end. He bit down hard on Sono's neck, a loud gasp slipping out as he came suddenly and roughly inside his lovers channel. He felt Sono tense up and shudder, no doubt surprised by the sudden rush of warmth trailing up his spine. He collapsed on top of him, his legs pushed up to his chest.

It was quiet between the two of them for a moment. Sono opened his eyes first and his vision slowly came back, but he shut his eyes again, feeling them sting. When Seiji's eyes opened, he let out a long exhale. That had to be the best sex either of them had ever experianced. And Seiji found it hard to let Sono's bruised wrists go but when he did, his arm collapsed next to his lovers head. Both were struggling to regain their breath. Both bodies were warm and wet with the scent and feel of sex and sweat.

When Sono could feel his wrists again, he weakly raised his arms and wrapped them around his lovers wet back, feeling what tonight had down to the both of them. He let out a shuddering gasp, gripping Seiji's shoulders. He smiled against his neck.

"Dear God...no one's ever been able to make me scream like that."

Without moving, Seiji chuckled.

"You're welcome..."

"Seiji, how do you do this to me? It feels like I'm made of jelly."

The younger propped himself on his elbows and kissed Sono's forehead, once he felt the energy to do it. Ever so slowly, he pulled out of the blonds body, making him gasp and shiver madly. Once he was out, he collapsed on top of him again, his breath still coming in pants. It was then he realized Sono's legs were still on his shoulders, making it rather uncomfortable. With some energy coming back, he gently lowered his legs down, easing him to a comfortable position.

It took a moment for Seiji to sit up properly and stay up. His mind was cloudy. He looked over and saw Sono panting madly, holding onto his throat, trying to ease his breathing. Seiji reached over and rubbed the blonds shaking leg, chuckling.

"We...we really did a number on each other, didn't we?"

Sono smiled and nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. He was still shaking. His whole body was numb. Like his orgasm drained all the energy out of him. He watched Seiji weakly stand up, his legs wobbly as he walked to the phone and dialed the fron desk. Sono shut his eyes, thinking he heard something about a bed cleaning. It made him laugh.

He felt like blacking out, but he felt Seiji help him up and walked him to the large bathroom. Over time, he heard the bath water turn on. He shut his eyes, thinking he was out for a few minutes. He thought he felt his body submerged in warm heat, he thought he felt his hair getting wet. He felt himself moved around quite a bit, but didn't really know what was going on. He thought he was sitting in a warm bathtub. But when he opened his eyes, he was back in bed, cleaned up and dressed. He looked next to him and saw that Seiji was also cleaned up and dressed, reaching over to shut off the light. Sono rubbed his head. He really was tired if he slept through the entire bath.

Once Seiji was on his back, the blond crawled over and said,

"This has to be...the best Christmas ever. Oh Seiji...I love you so much."

"Mmmm I love you too. You don't know what you do to me..."

The blond smiled, then looked at the ring on his finger. His smile grew and he peeked over to look at the braclet on Seiji's wrist. He gave one more soft smile before he finally blacked out against Seiji's chest.

It seemed like the last few days of their visit, Sono's legs refused to work. And Seiji continuiously apologized for it, hour after hour. But Sono smiled and said it was fine. The night before they returned home, Sono helped pack up their stuff from bed, while Seiji packed another half of their belongings.

That next morning, when he could walk, just a little bit, they waitied at the airport for their flight. And when they returned home, it seemed like...their love had grown so much more. Especially with their presents to each other, opening a new kind of door...

Christmas, fun as it was, did leave some difficulties. Because of the hardcore...well...activities their holidays gave, it was hard to walk around the hotel and not be given odd stares. Seiji didn't mind though. The stares were to be expected. After all, Sono was a little loud. *wink wink*

If that wasn't enough, however, the blond's legs seemed to betray him much much more often than usual. Each time he would try to get out of bed, he would either stumble or fall to the ground. Made Seiji happy to see that the blond needed him, if only for a minute or two. Sono was no where near happy about this situation at all. He couldn't move his legs, which meant he couldn't walk or stand properly. Each time Seiji would give him a sly little grin, Sono would give him a dark glare in return.

It as also awkward when they younger would massage his legs and ask constantly if he needed anything. What started off as slightly funny as now a tad concerning. At first, it made Sono a little uncomfortable, then, he felt a little at ease. Now, he was just getting annoyed.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?"

"Seiji, listen to me. I'm fine. I may not be able to walk, but I am not some princess that is totally helpless. My legs just don't work all that...perfectly, at the moment. Just relax, I'll be fine. Give it until tomorrow when we leave and I will be walking fine."

If only that were true.

The fun part was heading home and the airport was just an all out funny experiance. While Seiji had sat down and began reading a magazine, he noticed his lover limping towards him, no doubt seemingly exhausted from the previous nights activites. It made him chuckle to himself when he tried to sit down, avoiding the looks of people who had quite an idea of what happened to the blond male.

Seiji snickered, this was just too funny. Glaring daggers at him, Sono reached over and pinched his leg tightly, making the younger yelp loudly, earning a lot more stares. Seiji rubbed his leg while Sono crossed his, smiling to himself. Oh yeah, this was going to be a fun ride home. And this was defiantly going to be a great relationship now that they had taken such a large turn...


	7. Chapter 7

The last few weeks felt like a dream, even as reality was passing by. Everytime they were together, it felt like he was on a cloud. Like nothing was wrong with the world. Their first Christmas together was like a large rocketship. Their first New Years together...holy shit. It was like being an actual firework.

The soft sunset at 5 in the afternoon was beautiful now as it was then, reds and purples against the sky. Sono found that much more useful than working on his manga. He couldn't take his eyes away from the beautiful picture outside his window. But if he wasn't staring at the sky, he would be staring at his ring. The ring would make him so giddy and so alive. Hell, that whole Christmas night made him feel like a new person. More open, more emotional, in a seemingly good way. How was it that Seiji was able to change him this much? He didn't even think he was any different from when he was younger.

The blond smiled and turned a few times in his chair, ignoring his drafts. It was like he was a teenager again, so madly in love for the first time in a long time. There was nothing else on his mind other then his younger lover. Sono was smiling so much more now. Anyone who knew him saw it.

When he was at work that day, he was more happy and more eager to get things done than he usually had been. His publisher had been impressed with his new found can-do-attitude. Though no one knew what was causing Sono's new found joy, they all said the same thing.

_'It's great he's finally happy with something other than work_.'...well, the co-workers who knew he was a guy, anyway.

And if this new found joy was making the blond feel like he was younger again, it did wonders for Seiji.

Being that Sono was his first ever love experiance, not to mention sexual experiance, this kind of feeling made the mans heart beat at least towards 500 miles an hour. He was souring on this drug that was called love.

When he first met the blond, he wasn't quite sure on what to make of him. True, he said he was beautiful, regardless of being a guy. But after their falling out and reconciliation, he had to face facts. He was head over heels for Sono and he now knew the blond felt the same.

Whenever they met up somewhere, no longer was it just walking up and smiling at each other. As odd as it looked to some, other people, (mostly girls, Seiji seemed to notice) found it very adorable when they would see a blond male nearly tackle another man to the pavement, hugging as if they were the only ones on earth. Then Seiji would place a soft kiss to the top of Sono's head, earning a smile. Sometimes, when they really forgot they were out in public, Seiji would dive right in for a kiss. Sometimes Sono let him, other times he stopped him. But when he did let him, from behind him or Seiji, both would imagine a bunch of girls 'awwing' them from a distance.

When they were alone, on nights where they didn't need to work, they would find comfort just in each others company. On nights they did have to work, Seiji would pout about it. And of course, Sono would be the more mature party and explain what would happen if they didn't get their work done on time.

Even still, nothing could break this loving mood the two were in...eh so the fairy tale goes.

At his apartment, Seiji tapped at his desk, praying that time would go faster so tomorrow would get here. He already hadn't seen Sono for 4 days. It was like he was going through withdrawls. As of now, he was staring at a sheet of paper, with only half of it filled. He couldn't focus at all.

Sighing, he ran his hands through his hair, staring at the clock. It was 9 now and he was already bored out of his skull.

"Guh! You stupid clock! Go faster!" 'Why am I yelling at a clock?'

Groaning, Seiji layed his head on his desk, trying to calm himself down...then, like a gift from above, his cell phone rang.

With a huge smile, he fell from his chair and ran to his couch to grab his phone. When he looked at the number, he saw it wasn't Sono's and he immediantly felt crestfallen. Sighing, he answered anyway, opening his phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Yamada-san? It's Oishi."

Seiji's head quickly snapped up at the sound of Oishi's name. He and Yakura hadn't called in weeks, so he assumed the Takeo situation was under control. Apparently, it wasn't.

"Oh hi...what's up?"

"To be honest, nothing good. Nothing good at all. Listen, is Hanasaki with you?"

Seiji suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety building in his loins. This didn't sound good at all. Forcing himself to sit down on his couch, Seiji gulped and said,

"No...no I haven't heard from him in a few days. We've been working so it's hard to keep in touch from time to time."

"...I think it's best that you don't leave his side for a while."

"Why, what happened?"

"While you guys were away in Tokyo, the police were getting calls from Hanasaki's neighbors. They all said they saw some guy entering his home with what looked like a hair pin. Then he would leave 45 minutes later with a smile on his face. We checked his apartment and found some horrific letters everywhere. There was blood splatter on his floors. We got it all cleaned up in time. I didn't know when you guys would be back and I didn't want to spoil your vacation..."

"Do...do you think he left more just before we came back?"

"We're not sure. Did Hanasaki leave his house at all today?"

"Yeah, he had to work."

He heard Oishi stutter for a few minutes before taking deep breaths and trying to find his words. But it seemed Seiji worked his brain quicker as he said,

"Did Takeo go into his apartment while he was gone?"

"We're not sure. We got a call a few minutes ago, that's why I'm calling you. You need to call and-"

A loud ding noise surprised Seiji for a moment and looked at his phone, eyes wide. It was a call waiting notice and it was from Sono. Suddenly panicky, he told Oishi he'd call him back and quickly hit his send button, pressing his phone back to his ear.

"Sono? You there?"

There was loud breathing, but it sounded like dry sobs. Now his heart was racing. What was going on? Sitting on the edge of his couch, he said,

"I know you can hear me, Sono. What's going on? Are you ok?"

"...he was here."

"What?"

"He was here...he was in my house...he called me...he threatened me again...I...please help me, I don't know what to do!"

Without a second glance at anything, Seiji grabbed his jacket and nearly yelled over the phone,

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

He heard the blond drop his phone to the floor, or at least set it somewhere near him. But by now, Seiji was boiling furious. He slammed his door shut and slid down the apartment stair railing and ran to the nearest bus stop. Like a gift from God, a bus was there and he got right on, telling the driver where he needed to be. Now the only thing was waiting...waiting...waiting...

*Back track about 48 minutes*

Sono stretched and yawned, thinking it was time to turn in early. Most of his work was finished and all he needed to do was the last 5 pages, then he'd be done. At least for a few days. He ruffled his hair a few times, debating on if he should take a shower or not. Eh, might as well. He hadn't really set foot in his bathroom for a long time.

After standing from his chair, he popped his back a few times, moaning a little at the slight sting of his muscles working to caress his back. He walked into his bathroom, turned on the light and just before he turned on the water, something caught his eye. Something was jammed into his tiles on his shower wall. Furrowing his brow, he leaned over and yanked at it a few times before it popped out. And what popped out was a very dead looking spider. Sono cringed at the sight of it, wiping his hands on his shirt. Normally, Sono was deathly afraid of spiders, but being this one was dead, it didn't bother him AS much.

"How gross...how did you even get in here? I think the better question how did you get jammed into my tiles?"

Curious, but the urge for a shower was now gone. Sighing, he stepped out of his bathroom and into his room, walking over to his closet. When he opened it, it smelt odd. Like a brand of cheap colonge. Groaning, he ignored it and pulled out the clothes he would wear for tomorrow's work day. A pair of blue jeans and a long sweater. Seemed simple. He moved his clothes to find a nice sweater...when he saw a plastic bag. Like something from a Dry Cleaners.

Sono was starting to get a little nervous. First the dead spider, being he was deathly afraid of spiders, next the cheap cologne that smelt oddly familiar. Now a dry cleaners bag? What was going on?

Feeling bold, he grabbed the bag and pulled it out by its hanger, staring at the clothes inside. His eyes widened and he dropped the bag with a loud gasp. Inside the dry cleaners bag was a Fukushima high school boys uniform, one that looked as though it had been worn before. There was something sticking out of the pocket, a piece of paper it looked like.

The blond felt his heart thumping. He was a tad scared now. But he had to be sure that it was only a coicidance. It was very doubtful. Gulping, he pulled the paper out of the breast pocket and opened it up. He saw it wasn't a piece of paper. It was a picture. The blond let out a small scream as the picture of him, Naoki and Takeo fell to his bedroom floor. He saw Naoki's face had been crossed out with a big red X. And now Sono's face was circled with red marker.

Now Sono's heart was racing in his chest, feeling nothing but panic spreading through his loins. There was no way, absolutley no way that he was here...

The loud ringing jolted him from his thoughts as he yelped, nearly falling on the floor. It was his cell phone. He ran over to answer it, seeing it was a blocked number. Oh this wasn't good at all. But Sono would not let this scare him. He opened his phone and hit send, pressing his phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"..."_

"Who is this? I can hear you breathing, so just talk."

_"...always the pushy one, arn't you?"_

Sono rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Alright, who is this? I'm not in the mood for games."

_"Aww how depressing. You don't remember my voice...though I'm fairly certain you remember the smell of my calogne. Don't you...babe?"_

All the blood in Sono's whole body was cold in less than a second. His eyes were wide and he gulped, not believing his ears. And like an idiot, he said,

"T-Ta-Takeo? Is that you?"

_"15 years I spent looking for you. Who woulda thought you'd still be in Japan. I was certain your rich daddy would've sent you off to another country. But then, why would he? You were always his little mistake."_

"Don't you bring my father into this. It's your fault he abused me for so many years...how the hell did you even get my-"

_"Apartment address? Cell phone number? Oh babe, you obviously underestimate me. I'm one of Japan's top 5 most wanted killers. That alone atones for something. Since Naoki, I've worked my way up."_

"Shut up! Shut up! Don't ever mention Naoki's name you slime! You took him from me! You took him from me, you bastard!"

He heard Takeo laugh darkly over the phone at Sono's sudden outburst. And Sono alone felt shocked at what he said. He pressed his hand to his mouth and leaned against his counter, unsure of what to do.

"_So he still has a place in your heart, huh? The place he stole from me...that fucker got what he deserved. He took what was mine-"_

"I was never yours, Takeo. Don't make the mistake in thinking that I was."

_"Hehe, babe, you nneed to wake up and smell reality_."

"I have smelt reality. Smells sweeter than your interpretation on it."

Again, that dark laugh. It brought shivers down Sono's spine. He told himself he wasn't going to be afraid. Even if it is Takeo, Sono would have to face his fear at once point or another.

But that voice...just hearing it again brought back memories...and not the good ones. Sono had to be strong. Not just for himself, but for Naoki's sake.

"Takeo, you bastard, you listen to me. I've lived my own life for 15 years. I'll admit it hasn't been all that great, but it's shaped up into something wonderful that I can live with till the day I die. I have a life that I can actually wake up and enjoy. I left Fukushima behind to forget the past. I don't need the past to be following me! I have a great job and someone who really loves me the way Naoki used to, the way I always wanted you to, but you were too fucking blind to see what you had until it was gone. Leave me alone and go back to prision. I'm done with with past and I'm done with you."

Ok so maybe mentioning he had a boyfriend was not the best thing to do. It seemed that's all that Takeo heard throughout that rant because he cackled and said,

_"You? A steady boytoy? That doesn't surpise me at all! I've heard quite a few stories about you and your loose body. See? You're exactly what I knew you'd be. A filthy slut."_

"I was, but not anymore. I found what I was looking for and so help me God, if you touch him, I'll kill you myself!"

_"How the fuck are you going to kill me...when you know I'm going to kill you first?"_

Sono felt tears perking at his eyes and he tried to push them away, but he failed as Takeo went on.

_"You know. You've always known that was how you were going to die. By my hands. I have to admit, your blood is as sweet as sugar. Tangy and delicious. Turns me on just thinking back to our graduation night. Your bloody body, aching in pain by my belt and knife. But I'm not going to be as easy as I was that night. This time, when I do it, I'm going to make you suffer so much more. Cut into your skin until you can't even breath right. Break every bone in your pretty little body so you won't fucking move. Then, I'll slice your throat clean open, and just before you die, I'll stab you in the heart. Right in the heart, fell it breaking in pain and sadness. Then maybe I'll carve out your heart and send it to your family, letting them know their little whore is gone and it's one less thing to worry about."_

By now, Sono could literally hear the smirk in Takeo's voice. But the blond had tears rolling down his cheeks; he wiped them away quickly and let out a loud sigh.

_"You can try to run, babe. But I'll always find you. And when I do, not even God is going to want your tattered soul."_

Suddenly, the lights went out and everything was dark. But Sono stood his ground, knowing full well Takeo just cut the power to the entire apartment building.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

_"You fucking know why I'm doing this."_

"Just because I turned down sex with you? Just because I wouldn't take you back? Takeo, what did I do to make you want me dead? I have to know. Tell me!"

Then..there was silence. Pure silence. And Sono felt his heart being crushed as the line went dead, but not before Takeo whispered,

"_I'm coming for you."_

Sono slid down to his floor, body shaking as he heard the dial tone. He could hear people murmering about the lines going out, but his head was pounding much too hard to hear the rest. He was no longer scared. Now, he was petrified. Takeo had him cornered. He had him backed in a corner like a scared puppy. He let his tears flow in his absent minded fear, his cell phone still open in his hands. He knew what he had to do...

Trying to hide the fact he was crying, he called the only person he could count on at the moment. It rang for a few minutes before he heard,

"_Sono? You there?"_

At first, Sono couldn't speak. His throat was so tight, he couldn't even breath normally. He tried taking in small breaths of air, desperate for his airways to open. He forgot that his lover was on the other line until he heard,

_"I know you can hear me, Sono. What's going on? Are you ok?"_

No he wasn't ok. He was far from ok. He was to the point of a traumatizing breakdown. Clutching the phone in both of his hands, he whimpered,

"...he was here."

There was a few moments pause before Seiji said anything. Then came a confused,

"_What?"_

"He was here...he was in my house...he called me...he threatened me again...I...please help me, I don't know what to do!"

He wasn't totally sure if Seiji heard him or not. But soon he did hear the man jump to his feet, alone with some rushing around. He heard Seiji's breathing quicken to a point where Sono was afraid he'd pass out. Then, in the most protective voice the blond had ever heard, he heard Seiji nearly scream into the phone,

_"Stay where you are. I'm on my way."_

All Sono could do was nod and lay his phone by his leg. He stared at the ceiling, wondering if Takeo had hidden cameras in his apartment. Also, if Takeo had the time to put a dead spider in his bathroom, find his old uniform and stick it in his closet, drenching the area with his calogne...could it be possible that he was here while Sono was away in Tokyo?

Sono wasn't sure but the thought scared him much more. He hugged himself and tried to calm himself down, waiting for his lover to show up. It seemed like time dragged on and when the blond shut his eyes, he heard his door bust open, but he didn't react in time. He felt someone grab his shoulders and shake him lightly, yelling his name. Was he unconcious or just not wanting to respond?

He was soon up on his feet and when his eyes opened, they locked onto Seiji's brown eyes, eyes that were filled of worry and anger. Without thinking about it, Sono threw himself into the mans arms, holding him into a bone crushing lock, feeling Seiji's arms wrapped around his head. The only thing Sono could manage out before his throat locked up on his again was,

"Thank god...you're here."


	8. Chapter 8

Seiji had gotten there at the perfect moment. He arrived to a very dark apartment complex, hearing people say someone blew their fuse. Deciding against asking any more questions, he ran up the many flights of stairs to the last floor, ran to his lovers unit and busted open his door with his foot. It was really dark inside, but Seiji could see the blond sitting on the floor, curled into a ball and was rocking himself back and forth. He wasn't crying, but he sounded terrified.

The man quickly got him to his feet, watching as those brown eyes opened suddenly. Within a second, Sono threw himself into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around his back. Seiji was surprised, but said nothing as he wrapped his own arms around the blonds quivering head, kissing the top of his hair. He heard Sono weakly mumble,

"Thank god you're here."

Seiji moved one of his hands to rub the blonds back soothingly, feeling how tense and tight he was. Feeling he had to break the silence, he calmly asked,

"What happened?"

He felt Sono relax a little, easing out into less stress. He sighed and rubbed his head, then layed it back against Seiji's chest.

"I was working...and I felt like I needed a shower. but when I walked inside, there was a dead spider lodged in my tiles and I'm afraid of spiders. Well, it was dead so it didn't bother me as much, but I skipped my shower and went to go to to bed, only to realize it smelt horrible in my closet and I found my old school uniform inside...I started to panic. Then my cell phone rang and it was Takeo...he kept saying that I was a mistake to my family, that he was going to kill me...that Naoki deserved to die..."

"No. No one deserves to die the way Naoki died. And you're not a mistake to anyone. Your family loves you, even if you don't see them. And Takeo isn't going to kill you. I told you. He hurts you, I'll kill him. Just relax...how did he even get your cell number? And how does he know where you live?"

Sono quickly shook his head.

"I don't know! He said I underestimated him...Seiji I'm scared. I'm more scared then I ever have been...I don't know what to do. Everywhere I go, he finds me...I can't get away."

Sono was distraught. His brain was in a jumbled mess and he couldn't think straight, if at all. He felt his lover rub his back gently, trying to comfort him. He wanted to say it was a nice gesture, but he was already in a lost state of fear. He then felt Seiji move his head up and their lips touched, such a kiss with loving tenderness. Running his fingers through Sono's blond hair, he made the kiss much more meaningful. When they broke apart, the younger kissed his forehead, rubbing his cheeks, saying,

"My decision is final now. You're obviously not safe in your own home. Pack up your stuff. You're staying with me."

Seiji broke apart to walk into Sono's room, while the blonds eyes were wide with stun.

"Wait what?"

"Takeo has your apartment number, your cell number. If he has those, who knows what other bit of information about you he has. We need to get you somewhere where'd never expect to look for you. We're going to change your cell phone number and only give it out to people you know can trust. After that we'll-"

Seiji stopped when he felt Sono's hand on his shoulder, telling him to stop and turn around. When he did, he saw those brown eyes, tired and full of fear. Sono shook his head.

"No...no that won't work. Seiji, Takeo found those things out before. Even if I moved in with you, changed my number...he'd still find me. That won't change...and he already knows that I have a man in my life...I made the horrible mistake of putting you in danger now...I can't move in with you and put you in more danger than you already were. If Takeo were to find you first...I couldn't live with myself..."

Seiji saw how this was killing the blond and it pained him to see him like this. Maybe it was time to let him know that he might've seen said man on the bus a few weeks ago...he sighed and set his hands on the blonds shoulders, saying,

"Sono listen. I understand you're in a position that is dangerous, belielve me, I get it. But..."

He didn't know what to say anymore. He tried thinking of something, anything, that could help Sono out of his rut. But nothing came to mind. He groaned. God, he was useless in this situation. He lowered his arms and walked away from the blond, who stared at Seiji's back.

"Seiji?"

"I don't know...what you want me to do. I'm trying to help you, but you keep pushing me away from it. I told you. I don't care what happens to me. All I care about is that you're safe from him. But I can't do that...if you don't let me. You said you wanted me to help you. How can I help you if you won't even let me give you suggestions on what to do. More than that, how can I help you if you won't take the time to think about how to help yourself?"

Sono's brown eyes widened, then softened as he looked at the ground, rubbing his arm. Could Seiji be right? Could he really be blind about the whole issue by not stopping and thinking about how he was going to stay alive? All Sono had been doing was cowering in fear...how could he not...Takeo was his own personal devil who wanted his soul.

Sono quickly shook his head, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. He felt Seiji's hand on his neck, lips on his head, whispering,

"Trust me. Please...just trust me."

The blond looked up at his lover and saw that his eyes were full of anxious worry. So, without another word, he nodded and said,

"Just...promise me you'll be home when you say you'll be home...I don't like knowing he's out there."

"I will, I will. C'mon. Let's get your stuff together and get it to my place."

Sono nodded again and walked with his lover into his room, his eyes sneaking over to look at the bag on the floor. The uniform was still in there, as if glaring at him. Shuddering, he overlooked it and went back to packing his things, avoiding the gaze of the picture just settling on the wood floor.

It had been at least 2 weeks since that night and Seiji could see what that night was physically doing to the blond sitting on his couch, staring at his papers. That one phone call was enough to break down every inch of saftey Sono felt within his core. He felt sick. Worse than sick. Like it was eating away at Sono's already terribly thin body.

Seiji sighed and walked up to the couch, sat down and wrapped his arm around him, holding him close.

"You feeling ok?"

"I guess. Trying to not let it get to me. I'm trying to tell myself that he won't find me. But it's hard. Hearing his voice again brought back a lot of bad memories."

Seiji heard the quiver in his voice and rubbed his arm, trying to relax him. He noticed Sono curling up, bringing his right ankle up to his chest and he rubbed it lightly, shivering.

"It's like I can feel my busted ankle again. I can still remember my dad yanking on it, pulling the bones back in place...god, it was horrible. I'm not sure which one was worse. Takeo breaking it or my dad fixing it. Both seem to hurt equally."

He layed his ankle down and sighed, rubbing at his hair. Feeling his lover wrapping both arms around him, he melted in the warm, comforting embrace. It had been a hard few weeks since he moved in with his lover, regardless of his thoughts about the issue. He knew Seiji meant well and only wanted to help him as much as he could. Still...Sono was still being difficult with Seiji about going after Takeo.

The younger sighed and kissed Sono's temple lightly, rubbing his hand.

"Hey I have an idea. How about we skip our drafts tonight and order take out. After that, we can take a shower and call it a night. You have too much stress inside to be thinking of Manga. Sound good?"

"Mmm that does sound nice...how about you order and I'll pick it up? Some fresh air will do me some good."

Seiji smiled and ran to his house phone, dialing the number for a nearby resteraunt. Meanwhile, Sono was putting on his boots and his jacket. informing his love he'd be taking a walk before heading to pick up dinner. Seiji smiled and nodded, turning to the phone and was naming off certain dishes. He turned to look at the younger man and smiled before walking out the door.

Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and carried on his way, hearing the busy streets and the many people carrying on with their lives.

Stopping at a stop light, he waited for the light to change green. He sighed and looked at all the people walking around him. His eyes caught sight of a young boy next to his left leg, holding onto his mothers hand for dear life. Sono smiled and shivered at the cold, walking with the others as the light turned green. He didn't stop at the take out place just yet. He first stopped at his work, desperatly needing to inform his boss of his new location when he mails off pay checks.

He walked up to the building and sighed, not really looking forward to this conversation. He walked inside and made a Bee line for his publishers office, needing to speak with him now. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, waiting for his boss to open up. Instead, he heard,

"This better be important. Who is it?"

"...I-it's Hanasaki, sir...can I talk to you?"

There was a pause before the door suddenly opened and a middle aged man stood at the door way. His graying black hair making him seemingly irritating. Sono gulped, unsure if he should do this.

"If this is a bad time, I can come later."

"No not at all. Come in."

Sono walked inside and quickly sat at the long table used for artist to publisher meetings. His publisher, Mr. Hemiyo, sighed and sat down, running through his pages of drafts and notes. He rubbed his eyes and said,

"So, what's on your mind, Hanasaki-kun? Must be serious. You look dreadful."

Sono chuckled and rubbed his neck. His boss was always on his case about how he looked, emotionally wise. He did make a note about it a week ago when Sono had a mental break down, cursing at the faulty copy machine and how it wasn't working right. Hemiyo did notice his star artist was acting a bit...odd, latley.

"What's this about?"

"Sir...I guess you've noticed my off mood changes latley."

"Off? Sono, you threw one of our old fax machines out of a 2 story building, all because it wouldn't send out calls. I've never seen you that angry before...well, minus the incident with the copy machine...and one of our office phones...and a book shelf...look the point is, something's...'up' with you, isn't there? A lot of the other artists are beginning to talk."

"You mean more than my odd way of drawing out my work?"

"Woman or man, you're still a person. I've noticed you've been skipping your deadlines these last few days. Now as your boss, I can't exactly accept your late work, even though your work is the best I've seen. I need to get your drafts in at a certain time and I can't do that if you don't get them in on time..."

Hemiyo saw the blond lower his head, nodding at every turn. It wasn't like Sono to be so submissive when he was getting lectured. More so since Hemiyo hadn't lectured Sono like this since he first started as an amature. The man sighed and said,

"But as your friend, I need to know what's bothering you so much that your work is beginning to slack. That's what the others are talking about. They're saying your work is lacking its erotic formality. And after looking over some of your drafts, I can see what they mean. Amature artists look up to you and the others as motivation and inspiration for them to get better. And seeing your work fall like this...Hanasaki, is something going on in your life that needs...looking into."

Sono chuckled again, making Hemiyo smile a little. But his smile faded when the blond said,

"You know, the reason I came here was to let you know I'm living with someone so you'd have to mail my paychecks somewhere else. I didn't know you and the others payed so much attention to how I felt these last few days...sir, forgive me, but I can't tell you what's going on because you wouldn't understand..."

Under his breath, he added, _'Not even Seiji understands_..'

Hemiyo sighed heavy and stood up, walked over to the blond and set his hands on his shoulders, saying,

"Regardless of me understanding or not, this behaviour of yours isn't going to fly with me. If anymore of your attitude gets in the way of your work or anyone elses work, I won't have a choice but to let you go."

Sono shivered. The last thing he wanted was to get fired from the job he loved so much. Hemiyo felt the blond shiver and lightly rubbed his pale workers flesh through the black sweater. He knew how it felt when faced with the possibility of losing a job. He knew that Sono and many others were strongly dedicated to their work and would do nothing to jeapordize it. And besides, Sono was his star artist. He could see it in him when the blond first started working under his publication name. God...that seemed so long ago.

Hemiyo lowered his hands and said,

"But I'll tell you what. I won't fire you, nor will I even consider it. You've been here too long and I know how much you want to stay."

He saw the back of Sono's head nod, so he went on.

"Which is why I'm putting you on a bit of a break. Call it a hiatus of your work, if you will. I'll give you as long as you need to get over whatever it is that's going on. But I want you to continue working on your issues, just not turn them in until you're feeling up the task of working here again. We'll put a block on your manga for now until it's cleared over. Does that sound alright?"

At the mention of a hiatus, he saw Sono's head perk up suddenly. When Hemiyo was finished explaining, the blond turned in his seat and stared at his boss with wide brown eyes.

"Are you serious? Put a stop to my work?"

"Only until you feel more up to working again. Don't argue with me. I don't know what's going on in your head but it's destracting you from your job. Sono, this is only temporary. If you don't want to stop, then keep coming to work. But don't say I didn't warn you about your bad attitude. If I get another complaint about you snapping off at someone or breaking more of our equipment, then I'll have to let you go. It's my only offer. Either you stay or take the temporary hiatus. What's it going to be?"

Sono was stunned, but knew his boss was right. He did noticed his attitude was becoming more and more...like it was when he was in high school. Snapping off at everyone who dared look him straight in the eyes, breaking everything when he got even a tiny bit angry. Takeo was fucking with his brain again and now he was risking his own job...he sighed. He didn't want it to come down to this, but it couldn't be helped...

In the end, he took the hiatus. He didn't want to risk his job over his horrid temper. It was like that 'dormant yet active volcano' anger he inherited was SLOWLY coming back to kick him where it hurts. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

He sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets to go pick up dinner. He remembered his boss signing a few papers to be sure that Sono wasn't coming back until he felt ready. This day could not turn out anymore depressing that it already seemed.

He pulled out his phone and texted his lover with shaking cold fingers,

_'What place was it again?'_

His phone buzzed quickly and he opened it. It read,

_'It's the one near that old coffee shop. With the green neon lights.'_

_'...Oh I see it. Ok, I'll be home in a few.'_

_'Alrighty. :) see you soon. Love you.'_

Sono stopped and stared at the message for a few moments, smiling to himself. Seiji always knew how to make him feel good even when they weren't together. He texted back,

'I love you too.'

and stuffed his phone back into his pocket, staring at his ring on the other hand. His heart throbbed and suddenly, he didn't feel as depressed as he did before. Smiling, he continued to walk down the street, running across when he saw no cars coming. Once his foot touched the sidewalk, he slipped and almost fell to the pavement, but someone caught him just before he fell. Sono felt his face rub against the black material of the mans jacket and he chuckled nervously.

"I'm sorry. I'm a little clumsy on wet ground. Didn't mean to run into you."

"Oh no trouble at all. Not to many people are kind nowadays. Can't be too careful."

Sono lightly smiled and bowed, turning to walk away. On the inside, he felt a little...uneasy. The mans voice was sweet, but at the same time...a little menacing. Sono ignored it and continued on his way, fiddling with his phone in his pocket. He walked passed an ally, yawning to himself, wanting to grab the food and head home. Just before he walked passed the ally, however, he felt someone grab his shoulder...

and cover his mouth, dragging him into the ally, covering his shocked yelling. He was pulled deeper into the ally, far enough to where no one could see them and he was slammed against the wall. His brown eyes furrowed in sudden anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

The man said nothing but pulled out a small switchblade. Once the blade made itself seen, all the blood in Sono's body went cold. His face grew unimaginably pale. That blade...no...no...

The man chuckled and leaned closer to the blond, licking his earlobe. It made Sono physically sick. He heard the mans voice, hot into his ear,

"Remember this blade? Cause he sure as hell remembers you."

To which point Sono felt like screaming, but his pride blocked it out. He gulped and reached his hand out to remove the mans hood. Once he did, his eyes remained wide, but his face read nothing. Nothing but emotionless shock.

* * *

><p>AN

And...CLIFF HANGER


	9. Chapter 9

Flashback-

_There was a loud screaming in the middle of the night which woke Kenji with a shocking start. He jumped out of bed and ran down the long hallway to his sons room, nearly breaking the door down. He ran in to the sight of his son sitting up in bed, examining his body with tears rolling down his eyes. When they locked with his fathers, he gasped and tried to wipe them away. Kenji walked in quietly and sat on the large bed, rubbing the blonds neck._

_"Bad dream?"_

_The boy nodded._

_"Wanna talk about it?"_

_When he quickly shook his head, Kenji sighed and patted his sons head._

_"Sono, if it was about Takeo, relax. The police found him and he's in jail. He's not going to cause you anymore trouble...you need to calm down and get over this."_

_The younger shivered. Well, his father was hardly any help at all. How was it so easy for him to forget so many traumatic things while it was terribly hard for Sono? Oh right...his father was 'perfect.' Could do no wrong and say no wrong._

_Sono jumped when he felt Kenji's hands on his back, helping him lay back down. Kenji smiled down at his youngest and kissed his forehead, saying how it had been a long time since he ran into his room like this. It made Sono smile, if only a little. His father was still his father after all and Sono was happy that his father was loving him again._

_Even still, there was one thing that Kenji was wrong about. Takeo was always going to be on his mind, deep down..._

-Present Day-

The sounds of cars passing by was merely a faint noise in the back of Sono's mind. All he could focus on was that knife and those dark blue eyes staring into his brown. He wasn't really sure what to make of this. Was he the man he accidently bumped into a few moments ago? He didn't see a hood before.

Guh, regardless, this was not something Sono was rather...thrilled about. His brown eyes furrowed and he gave a soft, but deathly glare into those dark eyes.

"Takeo...you have a lot of nerve showing your face in front of me after what you did. I'm surprised no ones recognized you here."

Takeo chuckled, running the tip of the blade gently down Sono's neck, making the blond jump a little, not so much at the blade, but at the chill. The dark haired man ran his free hand up against the wall next to Sono's head, smirking at him.

"No one ever expected me to be in Osaka. I'm usually always in either Tokyo or close to home."

"Close to home..."

Sono lightly pushed Takeo's arm away and his eyes burned with a sudden fire in his loins. He pushed Takeo away and let out a loud intake of air.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

"I think that question is pretty much the same thing you-"

"Just answer me!"

"Haha, you're hilarious when you act angry. Babe, you know exactly why I'm here. I just never expected finding you would be this easy."

"Well now that you have...what are you going to do?"

Takeo shut his mouth and seemingly thought it over, tapping his chin with his knife. At this point, Sono could easily run. But knowing Takeo, he had a hidden weapon aside from his switchblade. So the blond stayed up against the wall as Takeo continued thinking, humming to himself. What seemed like hours later, Takeo sighed and said,

"I think...I'm just going to prolong your death just a little bit longer. I wanna have fun with you while I'm here."

Anyone who knew Takeo's method of murder could already understand what he meant when he said 'have fun'. Sono didn't like hearing that. Not one bit. He felt the knife press up against his neck again and all of his bravery seemed to have vanished as quickly as it came. The tip of the blade slowly creeped down the front of his shirt to his stomach. Takeo traced littler circles around the sweater, smirking to himself.

Sono's eyes were shut tightly, putting himself in a happy place, trying to avoid the feeling of the blade...and Takeo's breath of his face. Suddenly, a ray of light snapped through the blonds vision and he gasped, clutching his sliced arm and falling to his knees, gasping for breath. He saw the sleeve wasn't cut...oh that's how Takeo worked. He would leave marks on the body but never touched the clothes. Made it a bit of a surprise for when the body was eventually found.

Takeo chuckled at the sight of the blond on his knees, trying to stop the bleedings. He twisted the blade in his palm and tip the toe of his boot to Sono's chin, bringing his face up a bit. It was a quiet few seconds as Takeo found...he couldn't break his gaze away from Sono's brown eyes...his pale face...silky blond hair...

Growling, Takeo swung his foot and kicked his victim to the dirt, hearing a loud yelp escape from his mouth. Takeo smirked and when Sono got up to his level, staggering a bit, Takeo saw a big nasty red mark on Sono's left cheek. It made the man growl a bit. When he played with his victims, just before he killed them, he didn't like leaving marks on their faces up until the end. But something about that red mark on the blonds cheek...it made the man chuckle as well. He chuckled when Sono finally was able to stand up straight, his hand pressed to his cheek.

Then something caught Takeo's eyes. A glimmer of small light coming from the blonds finger. Curious, he walked forward. Sono instantly cowered up against the wall, arms above his head. He knew it wasn't going to help him but it was something he knew from instinct when he was younger. He felt Takeo grab his left wrist and yank it to his eye level. Sono knew then what he was staring at and was now mentally kicking himself for not taking it off. He felt Takeo's grip tighten to a point of pain and soon, Sono was back on his knees, gripping at his arm, trying to yank it away.

Takeo's eyes darkened at the sight of a silver ring on the blonds finger. He bore his eyes onto Sono's frightened as hell face and asked,

"Did your boyfriend give you this ring?"

Sono said nothing. No way in hell he was going to endanger Seiji even more. He kept his mouth closed and gulped. He heard Takeo give an angered growl and twist his wrist. The blond let out a small yell and clutched at Takeo's hand.

"I'll ask you again. Did...your boyfriend...give you...this ring?"

When he twisted even harder, Sono's mouth betrayed him. His brain betrayed him.

"Yes! Yes he did! Takeo please let go! It hurts!"

But Takeo didn't let go. Instead, he squeezed even harder. Sono felt the bones in his wrists threatning to pop and break at any second. Given the amount of broken bones the blond had in his life, he knew what it felt like when he was right on the edge. Takeo's grip never lessened as he spoke with such venom in his words.

"You listen good, you little whore. What did I tell you 15 years ago? Huh? What did I tell you?...Say it!"

He tightened his grip again and Sono found no choice but to obey what Takeo said.

"That...that I was yours...and no one elses."

"That's right. Now, I didn't mind you sleeping around because all in all, I knew you were a slut to begin with. But to think you disobeyed my orders and found yourself a steady guy...that hurts me."

Sono almost wanted to laugh at the mocking tone in the mans voice. Hurts him? The only thing that could really hurt Takeo was a bullet to the chest.

"I have a plan set in motion for you. Since you're the person I've searched for, I'm not going to kill you...yet. Instead, we're going to continue having a little fun in this ally...understand?"

Sono nodded mindlessly. The sooner he could get out of here, the better. All he could do was remain on his knees, his wrists now bleeding in Takeo's rough hand and listen to his instructions.

"I want you here every Saturday at 9 p.m. Got that. And if you're even a minute late, you're going to atone for every second you make me wait. Understood?"

Sono nodded again, not knowing at that moment he just sold his soul. His eyes widnened when he realized what Takeo was thinking of doing. But all thoughts were pushed aside when Takeo said,

"Another thing. I don't want you telling anyone about us. You hear me? If they see you have wounds on your body, I want you to lie. You're not to tell the cops, your co-workers. No one. Especially that boyfriend of yours. Because if I find out that you told anyone about this..."

Takeo smirked and raised the blunt part of his switchblade.

"I'll kill them and make you watch."

He slammed the blunt part of the wrist he had in his hands and snapped the bones. Sono let out a wild scream and fell to the dirt, clutching his broken wrist in his hand, trying to calm himself down. Takeo's dark laugh drowened out the blonds quiet sobs and the man found that quite unsatisfying. He grabbed the blonds hair and yanked him back to his knees.

Sono's face was now slightly covered in dirt and sand, his right hand covered in blood from holding onto his broken left wrist, trying to cover the open wounds. Tears were freely pouring from his eyes and he could think of nothing else to do but beg for his life. He heard Takeo pull his own zipper down and say,

"You're my personal whore from now until your jugdment day. Now suck. And if you bite, I'll slit your throat."

Sono felt the salty tip graze across his cold lips but kept his mouth closed. He couldn't do it. He'd agree to come every weekend and have Takeo beat the shit out of him just to keep his loved ones safe. But he wouldn't lower himself to this. His wrist throbbed, seeking some kind of medical help but Takeo's grip in his hair made it immpossible for him to move.

Takeo grew impatient and slapped the blond across the face, watching his mouth open in a gasp. He took this time to dive his cock into the blonds mouth, earning a muffled shriek. Takeo chuckled and thrusted into the blonds mouth, knowing that he was choking his victim.

Sono wasn't sure how long this had been going on. 30 minutes? An hours? By now, Seiji was probably worried about where he was. Was he out looking for him? The mere thought of his lover walking past this ally, hearing what was going on and seeing this monsterious scene, it nearly killed the blond and gag suddenly, bringing his mouth away from Takeo's shaft. He coughed violently, holding onto his throat, feeling it burn lightly. He felt Takeo's grip in his hair tighten and he whispered darkly,

"Who told you to stop?"

* * *

><p>-hours later-<p>

The walk home was unimaginably depressing. Takeo had cut his legs and his broken wrist. The red mark on his face was almost gone, but still noticable. His face burned with the feel of Takeo's dryed cum on his cheeks, lips and forehead. He remember just before the man came, he whispered,

_'I'm looking forward to next Saturday...babe.'_

The blond shivered and continued on his way home, staring at his ring. How could he face Seiji knowing what he just did. His heart was slowly breaking into shreds, but he had to be strong. Suddenly, he remembered his cell phone. Taking his good hand away from his throbbing wrist, he took his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, holding back a chocked sob.

He had 20 missed calls, all from the same person. And he had left him dozens of voicemails and texts.

Sono shut his phone violently, not wanting to face Seiji at all. It would kill him. He had been gone for too long. No doubt Seiji was worried about him, let alone furious for not returning or answering any of his calls.

He walked up the steps to the apartment and tried to think of a story about where he had been all this time. And how he was going to explain his red cheek and his broken wrist. Sono felt dizzy and he felt sick. All he needed was a shower and to go to sleep, hoping that today was nothing more than a dream.

When he reached the apartment, he took a deep breath as he held the door knob. Here we go...

He walked inside and shut the door, quickly sitting to removed his boots, finding it diffucult to do with one hand. He heard shuffling behind him, followed by

"Oh nevermind. He just walked in...alright bye."

Sono kept his mind closed when he heard Seiji hang up the phone. When his boots were off, he removed his jacket with one hand and hung it up, not wanting to face his lover yet. Ohh but Seiji was a tad steaming, he could feel it.

"Sono, where were you? I've called you for the last hour and you never answered. I ended up calling the police to send them out looking for you."

Sono said nothing but knew he had to turn around the run to the bathroom. He needed to vomit, he felt todays stress build up to a big lump and he wanted it gone. Silently, he turned around and heard Seiji's gasp. The blond stiffened when he felt Seiji's soft hand on his burning cheek.

"My god, what happened? You look like you were burned by a hair dryer."

Sono kept his eyes to the floor, sometimes looking at his wrist. he didn't expect Seiji's eyes to follow suit. He heard the man suddenly gasp louder and gently take his broken wrist into his hand.

"Your wrist...Sono what the hell happened? You look horrible. Talk to me, what happened while you were out?"

Taking in a deep breath of air, it took all of Sono's will power to hold back the truth. He remembered Takeo's threat and it almost brought tears to his eyes thinking about Takeo killing Seiji in front of him. He wouldn't be able to handle it. Sono sighed and said,

"I slipped and fell off a curb. I hit the street pretty hard and I busted my wrist. I also skidded my cheek when I fell so...that explains my red cheek. I'm sorry for making you worry..."

The blond looked at Seiji curiously, only to see those brown eyes furrow in suspicion. It made Sono panic.

"You slipped and fell? Ok, I might be young, but I'm not stupid. Sono you're not that clumsy to just 'slip and fall.' Now tell me what happened."

"I told you what happened. It's the truth." _'watch my nose grow because of my lies..._'

"I doubt that this kind of injury results from slipping and falling onto the street. Maybe if a car drove over it. It looks like you were pellted with bullets. Your wrist is bleeding pretty bad."

"It stopped a little while ago on my way home. Most of it's just dried blood."

"Regardless, it's broken pretty bad. We need to get you to a clinic and have them wrap it up. Ok?"

Seiji's eyes furrowed again when he saw that his lover hadn't budged. He was frozen like a statue, shivering. The younger wrapped his arms around the blonds shoulders, feeling him tense up. Now Seiji was suspicious. Since when did Sono ever tense up like this when he held him.

"Sono...when you say you're telling me the truth...are you really?"

He thought he heard Sono let out a shuddering breath when he saw him nod.

"Seiji honestly...would I ever...lie to you?" _'Oh god, I'm going to be sick_.'

The blond pushed himself away from Seiji's embrace and ran to the bathroom, skidding in front of the toilet. He opened the lid and let out everything. The stress, the fear, all of it. He vomited violently into the bowl, feeling himself get more and more dizzy. He vaugley heard Seiji walk up by the door way but everyother noise was drowned out.

For 45 minutes, he vomited on and off until he finally calmed down enough to relax and collapse against the floor, holding onto his wrist. He felt arms wrap around him and gently sit him up. He felt Seiji's soft hand on his stomach, his other resting on his chest. Seiji's kissed the blonds hair, making a note of how bad it smelled, which made him all the more concerned. He didn't want to jump to conclusions and say that Sono was cheating on him. This he highly doubted...why he wasn't sure.

"Sono, listen. You can tell me what happened. I won't get mad, I promise. I love you and I just want to help you. Now just tell me what happened."

The blond felt his head swimming in depression. Never once did he feel more like shit than he did right now. He wanted to tell Seiji what happened, he wanted to so bad. But he couldn't. His heart wouldn't let him. He opened his mouth, but all that came out were soft sobs. He pressed his head against his lovers chest, wanting so much to be held. He heart snapped when he felt his lovers arms wrap tighter around him, rubbing his back.

There would be no easy way to say that Sono had sold his soul to the devil. Every Saturday, he would humiliated and beaten and forced to lie. Sono didn't know if he could handle lying to his lover like this. He didn't know what to do. All he could do now was bask in Seiji's comforting embrace as he sobbed into his chest, praying that some miracle would come and help him out of this nightmare he set himself in.

The miracle wouldn't come...not by a long shot


	10. Chapter 10

Sickness...depression...all the things Sono never thought he'd feel every again.

Seeing Takeo again was a horrific experiance for him...and now he endangered Seiji by mentioning his existance...though he never said a name.

All this was driving him crazy with a mix of both irritation, depression, sickness, anger, just an ocean of shit he didn't want to feel.

Inside his mind was nothing more than a dark tunnel and every direction was a way deeper into the hell he created for himself. He got himself into this mess, he had to fond a way out.

Haha, funny, the only way out was to die. Takeo would kill him just before the police ever caught him.

The blond was beginning to become more and more antisocial and very aggressive. It was a good thing his boss put him on a hiatus, but it was a bad thing since Seiji would never leave him alone to collect his thoughts. There were times where the man would simply ask what was bothering him, but Sono would snap off in a mad rage.

"You want to know what's bothering me? People always asking me what's bothering me! I'm not a goddamn child that needs constent attention and you know it! Quit asking me if I'm alright all the time cause it irritates me to hell! Just leave me alone!"

Seiji backed off for at least 5 days after that out burst. He was angry that Sono had yelled at him, but he was also terribly concerned. Sono was becoming distant. Much more distant. He wouldn't eat, because he was afraid of puking it back up. Or he was afraid of getting fat, both of which were...odd reasons. Whenever he slept, he would wake up gasping or crying from a nightmare that he never talked about. When Seiji would have his friends over to work, Sono would hide in their room, which was another odd thing since the blond got along with Yasuda and Ashi really well.

But the biggest thing that was bugging Seiji was were Sono was getting all these harsh injuries from. It seemed like a pattern. Sono would come home on Saturday nights, shaken and disoriented. His hair would smell bad, along with the rest of him. The rest he would hide. Everytime he came home he would run to the bathroom and vomit up everything Seiji had assumed he had eaten. After that, he would take a shower with the door locked and change into his longer blue night clothes, quickly going to bed.

Seiji wasn't stupid. He knew the blond was hurting and while he didn't understand where they were coming from, he knew they were killing the blonds mind. So everynight, after about a month of this pattern, while Sono slept, Seiji lightly lifted the back of the blonds shirt, to see no markings on his back. Confused, he unbuttoned his lovers shirt gently and lightly pulled it off of him. Sono never moved. And Seiji's eyes widened at what he saw.

The blonds arms were slashed up to his elbow in dark red, angry cuts. His stomach had a few stab wounds, none of which looked fatal (obviously). Most of the injuries were on his front, never his back.

Suddenly frightened, he gently dipped his hand into the back of Sono's pants and lightly rubbed his enterance, letting out a breath of relief when he felt no signs of rape or other forced entry. True, when he touched him, the blond jerked, but fell still, sleeping again.

Whatever was going on, Seiji didn't like it. What's more, Sono had a bizzare story for every injury Seiji could see. At one time, it was 'I was mugged on the subway and got stabbed, it wasn't that bad. I got my stuff back and the cops got him.' Another one was, 'A child was getting bullied by some kids and I stepped into help, and I got kicked in the knee. It was bad enough to cut it open. I guess he had steel toed boots on.'

Again, Seiji wasn't stupid. He could tell when Sono was lying to him. And it seemed like every time Sono told him an odd story, his eyes would darken.

The younger was getting horribly suspicious of this odd behaviour. And he was getting horribly worried about the state of his lovers mind. Whatever was going on in his mind, it was killing Sono inside and out. And Seiji wanted to know what was going on. Even if he'd have to force it out of his lovers mouth, he'd find out one way or another.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Another Saturday...another night of pain and humiliation.

Sono put on his jacket, wincing at the sudden pain in his right elbow. Takeo had left a huge bruise on his elbow during their last encounter. And it made the blond shudder. How long had this been going on? He silently counted with his fingers.

One...two...was it two? No, it was three. Or was it four? God, he couldn't remember. He could only remember about 3 months.

Groaning, he sat down to put on his shoes. When he slipped them on, he rubbed his neck, questioning how long this shit was going to go on. Hopefully, not for much longer..

Sono looked at his watch. Almost 9. Perfect, he wasn't going to be late...perfect? Since when did he look forward to this? More to the point, why did he even agree to this madness? Sono let out a soft chuckle. Of course he knew why. It was to be sure that the people he cared for were safe. Especially Seiji...the blond let out a sharp gasp, clutching his chest.

It was killing him to lie to his lover like this for 3 months. He didn't know how long it was going to be until he cracked. But he had to continue doing this. He wanted Seiji to be safe from Takeo and if sacrificing himself was the only way to do it...then he had no other option.

He sighed again and stood, staring back at the bedroom door. He remmembered Seiji saying he was going to take a short nap before going back to work. Smiling, the blond walked back into the apartment, ignoring that his shoes were on, and walked into their room silently, seeing his lover sound asleep. Sono sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Seiji's leg, wanting so bad to lay next to him and relax for once. He had been on edge for months. It was only one day every week but that one day was...god he didn't know how to describe it.

He leaned over and kissed Seiji's forehead lightly, rubbing his head. He layed his own forehead against Seiji's temple, hearing his soft breathing. Sono sighed and whispered,

"I love you...I'm so sorry."

He got up and left the room, then left the house silently, shutting the door, not letting the tears forming in his eyes to fall. From inside the bedroom, right after Sono left, Seiji layed there in bed, eyes open and he felt himself shuddering. He felt his blond lovers lips touch his forehead and he wanted to sob. This had gone on for too long. Sono's constant dissapearance every Saturday night...it drove Seiji crazy with wanting to know what was going on. And damn it all, he was going to find out.

* * *

><p>The streets were dark, with the expeption of the neon lights and the lights of the stores. Sono found tonight to be unimaginably cold. It was April, slightly chilly but rather warm for spring weather. He sighed, not caring about the weather. He looked at his watch...8:57. Only 3 minutes until he would face his hell again. He shuddered, digging his hands into his pockets again, hurrying down the street. If he wasn't there by nine, Takeo was going to do worse than just do the normal do.<p>

He stopped at the stop light, waiting with the rest of the people as they waited for their light to turn green. The blond started fidgeting. The light was taking too damn long and if he was late, Takeo would have his head. He looked at his watch and he gasped...9:01...fuck...

When the light turned green, he bolted across the street, bypassing everybody as they gave him an odd look. When he stepped on the curb, he tripped and fell to the sidewalk, groaning loudly as he banged his knee. This night was not going well for him at all. He sighed...he was already late so what did it matter anyway. He sat on the curb and rubbed his knee, lightly touching the bruise that was forming slightly.

Sono perked his head up and looked at all the people walking by. It seemed like his vision was in slow motion. Everyone looked like a ghost to him, nothing more than an unknown spirit. He felt his heart wrenching. He shouldn't be out here. He should be at home. Tears slowly formed at his eyes and he had to hide his face. He didn't want people to see him cry.

"Oi, what are you doing sitting on the curb? This is the last place I'd expect you to be."

Sono jumped at the voice and turned to face the person. The man smiled down at him and Sono tilted his head.

"Y-Yasuda."

"Hehe, that's my name."

The man sat down next to the blond on the curb and sighed, looking at the sky. He noticed the blond was shaking. He tilted his own head.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing."

"I was on my way to see you and Yamada. I figured you'd be at home around this time. Which begs the question: what are you doing out here?"

Sono chuckled weakly and rubbed his eyes, feeling a short tear escape from each eye. Yasuda caught him and his eyes widened behind his glasses. He reached over and wiped the tear away, feeling Sono tense up suddenly. Since Seiji told Yasuda about the blond, he had developed a soft spot for him. He leaned over and rubbed Sono's shoulder, calmly asking,

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No...nothing like that...listen, I know this is odd to ask, but do you have a cigarrette?"

Yasuda was baffled. Not just by the request, but more so at the look on Sono's face. The poor guy looked like he hadn't slept in ages. Dark circles under his eyes and he looked just miserable. Yasuda blindly reached into his pocket.

"Um...yeah, I do. I carry them for a friend of mine. Not that I smoke or anything, cause I don't. And if I did, it wouldn't be this brand or-"

Yasuda stopped talking when Sono reached for a stick, stuck it in his mouth and took Yasuda's lighter, igniting the fire and lit the smoke, blowing the toxic fume into the air. Sono took another deep drag and blew out the smoke, letting out a soft moan.

"God...I haven't had a smoke in years. It feels odd to start again."

"H-Hanasaki-san, I don't think Seiji would want you smoking."

"Haha, oh Yasuda, Seiji is the least of my worries right now."

Yasuda watched as Sono took another drag and his eyes furrowed. This wasn't like the blond at all to sound like this. He growled and snatched the smoke out of Sono's mouth, breaking it in half. He gripped the blond by his shirt and shook him, boring into his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Seiji said you've been acting strange latley. Sneaking around every Saturday, snapping off here and there. I'm sure you two haven't had sex in months by the way you're acting...if you're cheating on him, so help me God, I will cut your pretty little face off. He's my friend and I won't stand by and watch him get hurt by some guy. You understand me? I don't know what you're doing, but it's making him worry. Now I'm not going to ask you again. What are you doing out here?"

Yasuda glared into those stunned wide eyes. And it baffled him again when he saw tears. He let go of the blonds shirt and Sono wiped his eyes, trying to rid his tears. To Sono, the streets suddenly just got colder. He was freezing. He quickly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Yasuda...I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for making him worry about me...but I can't tell him or you where I've been going..."

"And why not?"

"I just can't, alright? If I do, you both will die and I can't live through that again!"

The blond stood and ran off down the road, with Yasuda calling his name. How odd...but it got the answer that Yasuda wanted. Whatever Sono was doing every Saturday, it was by force. And obviously with deadly consiquences. Nodding to himself, Yasuda turned and made a bee line to Seiji's apartment.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sono ran as far as his legs could take him before he finally stopped to leane against a wall, catching his breath. He pounded his fist against the wall. He just wanted this nightmare to end. He wanted to wake up in Seiji's arms and forget this whole ordeal. He fell to his knees, wanting to either die or whatever. He hated his life at the moment and he was tired of living a lie.<p>

He slowly pulled himself up and continued his way. Tonight, he would ask Takeo to kill him. To end his pathetic life. He didn't want to face another night with Seiji always asking where he was at night and having to lie about it. For three months, his heart was slowly dying. There was no way he'd be able to go on without cracking.

When he reached the ally, he saw Takeo waiting with a smoke in his hands. He turned his head to face the blond and he blew smoke from his mouth.

"You're late."

Sono nodded and said nothing but walked towards him, instantly getting on his knees. Takeo smirked and threw his cigarrette to the ground, kicking it away. He then walked over to the kneeling man and tilted his head up with his boot. Sono's eyes were lifeless, no brightness at all. Takeo smiled darkly.

"Since you're so late, what shall we play toni-"

"Kill me."

Takeo lowered his boot, eyes wide with shock. The blond lowered his head, repeating his words.

"Kill me...please just kill me. I'm tired of this."

The man was silent, he was stunned. He never expected those words to fall from the blonds mouth. And as much as he liked hearing his defeat, somehow, it broke Takeo's heart a little bit. And that feeling made Takeo gasp inwardly and growl in hatred. How dare the blond make him feel like this after all the shit he put him through. He grabbed the blond by his shirt and punched him hard in the face, sending him to the dirt. Sono made no noise, just a sound of discomfort. Takeo's dark eyes furrowed when the blond looked up at him, one hand covering his right eye. His left eye stared at Takeo's face, with such an innocient look. Takeo couldn't help but see something in the sight in front of him.

He didn't see a grown man on his knees, in a black sweater, blue jeans and boots. He saw that same blond high schooler in his purple torn suit and slacks, staring at up him with those deep brown eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

He grabbed the blond again and slammed him against the wall, earning a pained yelp from him. Takeo grinned and slid his hand up the blonds shirt. He remained unresponsive. He may have jerked a little when Takeo lightly grazed his nipple, his lips remained shut. Takeo sighed and bit down hard on Sono's neck, making him gasp and claw at Takeo's back, trying to pull him off. Takeo wasn't having it. He bit harder, breaking the skin and tasting the blonds blood. It drove the man crazy. He lapped at the wound, almost gently, savoring the taste.

When he pulled away, his lips were stained with the redness of Sono's deep blood. He licked his lips and tilted his head, saying,

"No...I won't kill you yet. I want to play somemore before that day comes. You ready to play?"

Sono moved his head away, not wanting to look the man in the eye. His neck was so sore and stiff from the wound. He already felt disgusted and horrified at himself. He always did. This wasn't making it any better. He heard Takeo unzip his pants again, and Sono instantly got to his knees again, ready to take what the man forced down his throat. But just before the blond took the shaft into his hands, Takeo's hands stopped him.

"No, not this time. Get up against the wall. We're gonna do something a little different."

Not wanting to make this suffering longer, the blond stood and braced himself against the wall, feeling Takeo's hands pull down his jeans. His eyes widened and without realizing it, he quickly turned and smacked Takeo hard across the face, pulling his shirt down to cover himself. Takeo glared at him, hand to his burning cheek and he snarled.

"You bitch...you slapped me."

"I've let you do so many things to me, Takeo. But never in a million years will I let you do that!"

"You talk back at me? No one talks back at me, you little shit!"

Takeo pulled out his switchblade and with lightning speed, drove the blade into Sono's hip, making the blond gasp and freeze, clutching Takeo's arm. The man dug the blade deeper, twisting it, making Sono let out a choked sob, especially as the blade was quickly removed. Sono clutched at his bleeding wound, his legs feeling like jelly. Takeo smirked and said,

"There, now there won't be any problems."

He grabbed his victim and slammed him against the wall, his face smashing against the cold brick. Tears were rolling down Sono's cheeks once again as he felt Takeo's shaft rub against his skin. Then, in a swift moment, he slid in dry and every ounce of the blonds strength, will power, and sanity was suddenly gone. He screamed into the brick and clawed at it, sobbing when Takeo started thrusting hard and fast.

"That's it, babe. Scream for me. Give you a nice inspiration for your slutty manga."

Sono's eyes weakly opened, burning with tears and he screamed again when Takeo thrusted harder, hearing him chuckle darkly. He gripped the blonds hips and slammed into him, digging his ring finger into Sono's stab wound, twisting it. As he thrusted, he removed his finger and pulled out his blade, lifted the blonds shirt and starting cutting into the blonds pale back. Slashes upon slashes, bloody thrusts upon bloody thrusts, Sono felt like his body and his heart were giving out. He felt Takeo lift up his leg and drove the blade into Sono's pale thigh, cutting down a few centimeters before pulling out the blade.

He sliced into Sono's chest a bit, not fataly, but enough to cause serious pain. He finally threw the blade to the ground and continued thrusting madly, both hands now around Sono's thin neck, gripping and choking him. The blond couldn't breathe. He couldn't even feel anything anymore.

He felt, however, Takeo cumming madly inside him and hearing his groan. Sono let out a loud, painfilled gasp as he felt warm liquid trail up his open wounds. When Takeo pulled out suddenly, Sono felt liquid trailing down his thigh, and into the slice on his left thigh. He wasn't sure if it was his own blood or Takeo's cum or both. All he knew was, it was painful and he felt horribly weak. Just before he slid to the dirt, Takeo pulled his jeans up and adjusted him, turning him to face him. Takeo smiled at the sight.

His once beautiful pale face, now covered in dirt and small scratched from the wall, his right eye now swollen shut and purple. Takeo observed him up and down. Aside from the small hole in his shirt, the blond looked decent enough in Takeo's eyes. A dark purple ring around Sono's neck made him smile all the more.

"I think I'm done with you tonight. After playing with your body, both inside and out, I'm a little tired. Hehe. And like I tell you every Saturday..."

"...Tell...no one...lie...if asked."

Sono couldn't even talk, his throat was so sore. He clutched at it while leaning against the wall, tears still flowing. Then he suddenly felt Takeo's body up against his, his left eye wide as it could go. The look in Takeo's eyes...it was almost...caring. Then Takeo leaned in and kissed his cut cheek. Sono gasped at both the feeling of those awful lips on his skin, not to mention the sting on his cut. When Takeo pulled away, he said,

"On the day I decide to kill you, I'll give you one last kiss. That's how you'll know. Now get out of my sight. I'm done with you."

Weakly nodding, Sono limped away from the ally, the tears stopped and his body unbelieveably sore. There was no way in hell he could come up with a lie for this. When he left, Takeo sighed and lit another cigarrette, looking at the sky. He blew smoke from his lips and whispered,

"Don't worry, Naoki...we'll be with you soon enough. You won't be alone anymore..."

Sighing again, he saw the blond was gone out of his sight. Smirking, he walked the other direction, pulling up his hood so no one would see him.

* * *

><p>In all the years of hell he faced, Sono had never felt this dead inside. His limping drew the attention of many people passing by, not to mention his horrible black eye and the cuts on his face. He clutched his hip wound as he limped home, unable to form rational thought. Whatever he told Seiji, there was no way he'd buy it. But it didn't matter anymore. Sono was to die soon anyway...and he couldn't form another lie. His heart was smashed, as was his spirit. No matter how hard he tried to fight back against Takeo Mizuno, Sono would always lose.<p>

He weakly walked up the apartment steps, feeling his stomach churn. Nerves, fear, stress, Takeo's essance in him, it was making him terribly sick. He felt like if he puked, he'd die right after. Once he was right in front of the door, he gagged and slammed his hand against his mouth. He felt horrible. Worse than horrible. His body was so weak. Like he had been poisoned. Knowing Takeo, it would be no surprise.

He gripped the doorknob and slowly turned it, limping in and shutting the door, slipping his shoes off. He turned around and was instantly greeted with Seiji's worried and furious look, his arms crossed. Sono's left eye was wide. No doubt Seiji had the idea of what was going on. And now that he thought about it, there was an extra pair of shoes at the door...someone else was here. He turned his head away, not sure what to say. But Seiji gently took his chin in his fingers, slowly leading his face up to his face, eyes locking. Then came the question.

"Sono...what happened to your eye? And where have you been?"

The blond opened his mouth, trying to form a lie, but Seiji stopped him.

"If you lie to me, it won't end well for us. Yasuda already told me what you've been doing every Saturday...he told me that you've been going somewhere against your will and that if you told anybody, something bad could happen to you. I was going to ask if it wasn't true, but now I see it is. The black eye and the scratches...they can't fool me. I know you're in pain. I see you in pain everyday. For three months, I've had to watch you suffer for reasons you would never tell me. Tell me now. Who did this to do? And don't ignore this. Even if you don't tell me, I will find out one way or another."

Sono's eye widened at the venom in his lovers voice. Of course, he was angry with him for not being honest. All Seiji wanted was for Sono to be honest and it fell to shreds in three months of pain and lies. It was all too much. Sono pressed his hand to his chest and threw himself into his lovers arms, screaming into his chest. Seiji stayed stoic, wanting to hear whatever Sono had to say.

The blond fell to his knees and hugged Seiji's waist tightly, finally getting out what he should've said months ago.

"Seiji...I'm so sorry. It's been a nightmare. I couldn't tell you because I was trying to protect you. I spent three months in hell, abuse and humiliation, all to be sure you were safe. I had to lie to maintain my sanity but I can't...I can't do it anymore! I'm sorry! I never meant for you to be angry with me. I tried being honest, but it would've only gotten you killed and I couldn't handle the thought of him killing you! I'm begging you...please forgive me...I can't take the stress anymore. The lies, the pain, the stress, it's all too much, I-"

Seiji stopped him by setting his hand on his head, petting his hair.

"Say it. Who did this to you?"

And it finally came out, in a madness of screams and sobs,

"TAKEO DID THIS TO ME!"

He cryed in Seiji's stomach, somehow feeling so much better that he finally told him. Like 5 million pounds of weight was lifted from his shoulders. Only to come crashing down when he gasped and said,

"Oh god...I told you...No, now he'll find out...he'll come after you...he'll-he'll kill you, he'll-"

The blond was slightly shocked when Seiji's slapped him, trying to calm him down. But he was quickly brought to his chest, rubbing his head. Sono instantly relaxed, feeling his body shake violently from all the stress. Seiji's fingertips rubbed his stiff neck, kissing the top of his dirty hair. He took his lovers left hand and kissed his shaking knuckles, rubbing his lovers back with his free hand. He heard the blond hiss in pain and almost instantly, Seiji removed his shirt, letting out a yell and backing away from the man, as if he was poisoned. Extra footsteps were heard and soon, Yasuda ran in, also letting out a shocked gasp at the sight of the blonds cut up body.

Sono curdled himself into a ball. He wished he wouldn't stare at him like this...he gasped as he felt Yasuda's hands running up and down his back, a serious looked behind his glasses. He looked back at Seiji, saying,

"These are some serious wounds. Yamada, we need to get him to a hospital. If we let these fester, he'll die."

Seiji nodded and ran into the bedroom to grab his lover a different, more comfortable shirt. Meanwhile, his friend tryed to coax the blond into relaxing, rubbing his hip. Then, at the corner of his eye, he saw a dark spot on the back of Sono's jeans. Curious, he gently patted him, blushing as he did so. He had never once touched a man at all, but this was serious. He looked at his hand and saw it was slightly coated in blood. Yasuda gasped and stammered out Seiji's name. When the man appeared, his eyes locked on his friends red hand. Fuck...what the fuck did Takeo do to him?

Seiji felt tears perk at his eyes. This was too far. His lover was a strong person, but now, he was fragile and petrafied. He quickly ran over and threw the shirt over the blonds cut up body, picked him up bridal and slipped on his shoes, Yasuda close behind as they slammed the door behind them.

After nearly 2 hours in the E.R, Seiji and his lover came home alone as Yasuda went home himself. The doctors got Sono bandaged up all over his back, his chest and his stab wound. They covered his swollen eye in medicine and covered it with a cloth and medical bands. They attended to his stab wound on his thigh, bandaging it up tightly.

When they returned home, the younger quickly, but gently set his lover in bed, looking over his form. This was not the same Sono he knew months ago. The one he first met was lively, exciting, cheerful. Beautiful and unpredictable. That was the Sono Hanasaki he fell in love with. This was a mere shadow, a shadow of pain and hurt. A shadow of depression and long lasting suffering.

Gulping, Seiji gently ran his hand across Sono's cheek, feeling him twitch and his good eye opened. He stared up at Seiji, who tried to smile at him, but all that was on his mind.

He bolted up and asked,

"Where is he? Where's-"

Seiji pinned him back to the bed and shushed him loudly.

"It's ok. He's not here. It's just us. Relax."

Sono groaned loudly and rubbed his head, wincing at his throbbing headache. He felt peaceful, if only for a little bit. It was quiet between the two for a moment before Sono weakly spoke up,

"Seiji...I'm so sorry. I should've told you sooner."

"No, I understand why you didn't. But I saw what keeping this from me was doing to you. Sono, for three months, you walked around like a zombie. And it would get worse with every Saturday that passed by. But it's ok now."

"And how is it ok now? He'll be expecting me next Saturday..."

Seiji quickly took his lovers hands in his, looking hard into his eye.

"Like hell I'm letting this happen. I was an idiot for not seeing it sooner. Sono, you're not going back there. We're telling Yakura what's been going on. He'll take care of this and-"

"No Seiji. Takeo is my problem and I'll be damned if I let innocient people get involved. I'll take care of it...but later. I feel really dizzy."

The blond plopped back against the pillows, somehow feeling more relaxed than ever. The doctors must've given him some kind of pain killers. It was no wonder he felt dizzy and sleepy all at once. It was the first time he felt tired, even if it was drug induced. He needed sleep and he needed it bad. He felt Seiji's hand in his hair and he smiled, for the first time in months, he smiled.

"Sono, may I kiss you?"

Without opening his eyes, the blond murmured.

"Wh-what?"

"We haven't touched, embraced, kissed, anything for three months. I just want to kiss you. But I want to be sure you're ok with it, after all you went through."

For a moment, Sono wasn't quite sure if Seiji was serious or not. He couldn't open his eyes since he was so exhausted. Mentally and physically exhausted. After all Takeo put him through, it would be nice to know that it could all be over soon. But he didn't want Seiji or the police involved...yet. He wanted to take care of this problem on his own like he planned. Maybe dying wasn't the only way out. Saturday was still a while away. He had time to think it over, but he'd do it later. Right now, he wanted to sleep...but not before he had encouragment to slumber peacefully after three months.

He weakly raised his arms and opened his left eye weakly, smiling. Seiji smiled back and leaned in to kiss his forehead. Sono wrapped his tired arms around his lovers neck, giggling a little as he kissed his neck. Finally, when they locked eyes (or rather eye to eyes) Seiji took his lovers lips in one of the most breath taking kisses Sono ever had. And it was then Sono felt like everything was going to be alright again. Everything was to be as it should.

He'd make sure of it.


	12. Chapter 12

She was pain

both physical and to the mind

All she truely wanted

was to undo her hellish binds

Stuck in a place

no one to love

She wanted to try and pray

for help from above

The life she lived

filled with abuse

not punches or kicks

but her mind was a fuse

Mental Abuse

the hardest to heal

it hardened her heart

She forgot how to feel

Eye of others

they all say she's fine

In her mind, unknown to all

She was beaten and blind.

*Arc 1 of Black Eyed Beauty by Lyn Tripp...aka me lol*

A tunnel...he was in a tunnel. Two different directions, but where to go? Left or right? Left was usually a bad turn, though right didn't look much better. Sighing, he went right...and saw a bright blue beam of light coming from the end of the tunnel. Gasping for relief, he ran as far as his legs could take him.

Until his left leg suddenly started burning in pain and he screamed, collapsing to the floor and reached for the light, but it vanished. It was replaced with a dark red glow...the glow of death. His eyes widened as he tried to crawl away, but a knife in his spine made him shriek in pain. Another knife to his legs, his arms, his feet, he was stuck. Bloody and stuck. He screamed for help, but no help came. He then heard his name...

"...Sono..."

His eyes clamped shut and he didn't respond as he felt his head being yanked back. That's where it ended. A blade slid right into his throat; he gasped, feeling blood running down his cold lips...he could hear his name being called as he slowly died in pain.

'Sono...ahh Sono...'

* * *

><p>"Sono, wake up! Wake up!"<p>

The blonds eye snapped open and he sat up quickly, almost smacking Seiji's face in the process. He was shaking, sweaty and gasping for air. Tears were rolling down his cheeks he noticed and stared at his hands. His hands were shaking violently. Then he stared up at his lover. He recalled being shaken, along with his name continouesly called before he suddenly woke up. He also recalled screaming in his...dream? Was it a dream? It seemed so real...the pain, everything. His dream screaming must've made his scream in reality, waking Seiji and in a mad panic, shake him awake.

He wiped his eyes and shivered, looking over at the clock. 2:45 in the morning, Thursday. 2 days left...Sono choked a small sob and shook his head, trying to relax. He collapsed against Seiji's chest, feeling the man rub his head softly.

"You scared me...are you alright? It must've been a really freaky nightmare."

Nodding, the blond clutched onto Seiji's arm, trying to take deep even breaths. Freaky wasn't enought to describe what he saw. What he felt. He felt like his throat was on fire. His leg sure felt like it. Speaking of such, he rubbed his bandaged thigh, which throbbed in pain and he let out a shuddering breath.

"Seiji...can you get my pain killers? My leg's...starting to throb."

He didn't see Seiji nod, but he did feel the bed shift around quickly and footsteps running into the kitchen. When the man returned, he had a cup of water and two pills. Sono found his mouth watering at the sight of those pain killers. God, he was becoming addicted to those things. He took them from his lover and swallowed them with the water, shaking his head. He was addicted, but the pills tasted horrible. He set the cup on his nightstand and layed back down on the bed, rubbing his head in small groans. He felt Seiji hovering over him and said with a stern look,

"Seiji, relax. I'm fine now. It was just a nightmare."

"Just a nightmare? Sono, it sounded like you were being torn apart limb from limb. That wasn't a normal nightmare. I'm sure your screaming woke half of the apartment building."

Sono wanted to interject, but Seiji was right. It wasn't a normal nightmare if he could literally feel his body in agonizing pain. He rubbed his arms and sighed. It wasn't enough that Takeo plauged his thoughts by day, but now he was fucking with him at night.

He jumped when he felt Seiji's hand in his hair, kissing under his ear. Somehow, it relaxed him. Seiji always seemed to relax him when he REALLY needed it.

"It'll get better. I promise."

"I know...I used to tell myself that a lot. But Seiji, I don't know how much more of this my body can take. I'm literally exhausted. I feel like...he'll kill me without even trying next time. Like somehow, he'll strike me just hard enough to finish me off and-"

"Stop talking like that!"

Sono looked up and was shocked to see Seiji crying. Perhaps he went too far. No, he knew he went too far. He quickly sat up on his knees and hugged Seiji's head to his chest, rubbing his hair. He felt his lovers arms wrap around his mid back and cry in his chest. Sono felt horrible. True, he was the one being raped and abused so often for such a long time, but he had forgotten how much of a toll this was on the younger man.

Seiji had known something was going on and kept it bottled up for months. Sono couldn't imagine how upset he made his lover and now that he was seeing Seiji cry over it, he felt so horrible. He rubbed Seiji's bare back, trying to calm him down.

"Seiji, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean what I said. I didn't mean to make you upset."

His lover said nothing but cried into his chest harder, making the blonds heart snap a little more. He gently took Seiji's face into his hand and forced him to look at him. Then, he brought their lips together in a soft kiss, rubbing the mans neck. When they broke apart, Sono lightly wiped Seiji's tears away, then kissed his cheek.

"Nothing's going to happen to me. I'll always be here." 'If I live past Saturday...'

Seiji just shut his eyes, but Sono's good eye furrowed. He forced the man to open his eyes and he said,

"Seiji, please understand what I have to do. I do what I do because I'm trying to make sure you're safe. I let Takeo do these things to me to assure me that you're in no harm. If anything were to happen to you, I'd go insane."

"And how do you think I feel? Huh? Do you have any idea what horrible thoughts crossed my mind these last three months? Sono, I've been deathly scared for you. I was always afraid I'd have the cops over and they would tell me they found your corpse in an ally or a ditch somewhere. I've had my own nightmares about it and to be honest, I'm scared shitless. You're the only person I've ever felt any kind of love for and to have any possibilty of you getting killed...it destroys me! I can't handle the thought of losing you!"

He grip Sono's left hand tightly, making the blond wince, but remain stunned silent. He even felt tears in his eyes when he heard Seiji snap out,

"Does this ring mean nothing to you? Do you think I just gave this to you only because I wanted to? No! I gave this ring to you with the dream that'd you stay mine forever and that can't happen with this madman running around! I'm sick of seeing you some home with fresh wounds and a dazed stare. I'm sick of you feeding me lies. And I'm pissed at you for even agreeing with his stupid deal! Do you not even care what happens to you? What would your family think if they got a message in the mail saying that their youngest son was murdered? How do you think they would react? And don't give me that 'they don't care' crap. They'd sure care a hell of a lot if they got a message like that. More so, what would Naoki say if he were still alive? Or even looking down on you like this? Would he want this kind of life for you? Well? Don't even tell me people don't care because we do! I love you and I'm not letting some psycho take you away from me! Understand?"

It took all of the mans will power to hold back shaking Sono for a straight answer. But his horrified stare was answer enough. And it was then Seiji had backtracked on what he had just said. Never had he yelled at Sono like this. Now that he had, his tears had stopped and anger took over. His own eyes were wide with the realization of what he said.

It took Sono a moment to process what was just said to him. It all hit him so fast, he wasn't really sure how to repsond. With a stunned stare on his face, he crawled off the bed and limped out into the living room, sitting on the couch. Seiji quickly went off after him and saw him sitting there, his hand pressed against his forehead. His eyes looked glazed.

"Sono..I-"

"Don't...please just don't."

But Seiji wasn't giving in so easy. He knelt down on one knee next to the blond and took his shaking left hand, kissing his knuckles. He heard the blond let out a sharp intake of breath and finally, Sono was crying again freely. His hand was pressed against his mouth as he spoke.

"Oh Seiji, what's happened to us? We're fighting too much. Screaming at each other...it's my fault. You're right. This is all my fault. I'm an idiot for agreeing to his deal and look what it's doing to us. It's tearing us apart. It's killing me to fight with you."

Sono pulled his hand away and took his ring off, crying as he did so. His hand was visiably shaking and he felt Seiji grip his hands, trying to comfort him.

"Sono, I hate fighting with you too. I feel shitty for what I said. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It's just...this Takeo situation has gotten me so horrible frusterated. I know you're feeling the most stressed because of it. But...god, I don't know. My heads a mess. Your head's a mess. What should we do?"

The blond was barley listening. He was staring at the ring in his shaking palm. He gripped it in his hand and his crying hardened.

"I'm so scared. Seiji, I'm horrified at what's been going on. Takeo's tearing us apart. I love you, and I don't want to lose you. But I don't know what to do..."

Seiji quickly got up and embraced his lover tightly, running his fingers through his hair and kissing his head. There wasn't much use for words at the moment. Sono was beyond words and possibly beyond help. Seiji could think of nothing else to do but hold his lover on the couch all night, cooing him.

"It's ok...it's going to be ok."

And for a moment, Sono believed him. He believed everything was going to be ok. But come Saturday, none of that would matter.

Friday came around and they barley said a word to each other. Both were still shaken up over early Thursday morning. It had made Seiji mentally tired and it made Sono horribly sick. Seiji had even started sleeping on the couch. He felt uncomfortable being in the same bed with someone who was mentally unstable. But he also felt alone with Sono's body pressed up next to him. It was maddening.

Since that morning, their fighting had gotten worse. Even when the other wasn't even making a sound, even the slightest sigh would set the other off. They would scream at each other, demanding the other to understand what was going through their minds, knowing that it wouldn't happen. There were times that Seiji felt his composure snap almost to a point where he would raise his hand to the blond, which would literally stop everything. The moment Seiji's hand would go up, Sono would shut his mouth and remain silent, getting to his knees. Seiji almost felt happy he could keep the blond quiet enough to collect his own thoughts, until he realized what he was doing. He raised his own hand to the man he fell in love with...he was no better than Takeo...

Friday night and now, the mens minds were shot. Seiji felt angry almost all the time, where Sono would feel sick and depressed 24/7.

The younger was sitting at his desk, trying to finish up a few pages. But his mind was void of his work and he growled, crumbling up his paper and throwing it across the room, not caring where it landed. He suddenly heard soft footsteps and he turned his head to see Sono walking past him, looking at him with such a depressed stare. Seiji glared at him.

"What?"

"N-nothing."

Then he walked into the bathroom and soon, Seiji heard the shower turn on. He groaned and slammed his fists on his desk.

"Damnit, Mizuno...you're tearing us to shreds...I can't take it anymore."

He threw his pencil across the room and walked into his bedroom to change into his night clothes. He didn't want to have another uncomfortable encounter with the blond so he got dressed quick and was back at his desk just as the bathroom door opened. He heard Sono walk out and whisper,

"...Good night."

Seiji waved his hand and said,

"Night." Not even acknowledging the blond at all. Sono let out a sigh and walk into their room, shutting the door slightly behind him. Once he heard the man get situated, Seiji got up and shut off the lights, laying on the couch and curdled himself in the blankets.

He tossed and turned on the couch. It wasn't very comfortable, but anything was better than what was on his mind. He could hear Sono muttering in his sleep in the other room. This was depressing. He hated being away from the blond. He hated fighting with him. He hated screaming at him and threatning to hurt him. But he figured this was best...oh like hell it was. This was torture. No matter how much they fought, Seiji would still love him. He needed to remind Sono that he was still here to protect him. He got up from the couch and nearly sprinted to the bedroom and crawled into bed, wrapping his arms around Sono's thin waist. He felt Sono gasp lightly, but relaxed when Seiji rubbed his waist. This felt perfect. Absolutley perfect.

Seiji kissed Sono's head and nuzzled into his hair.

"We'll get through this. I love you and we will get through this."

He linked their hands over Sono's shoulder and he heard,

"I love you...I'm so sorry...for everything."

"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who should apologize. I've been acting like an ass when I should've been comforting you."

The blond sighed and tried to go back to sleep. Fighting with Seiji felt horrible and it was making them both difficult to be around each other during the day. But tomorrow was Saturday. And Sono was certain that Takeo was planning something big for him. Painful it'll be, he still had to manage it. For Seiji's sake and his own. While Takeo was aware that Sono had someone in his life, he still failed to discover his identity. Which was good in his favor.

Sono shivered and turned over in bed to nuzzle into Seiji's chest, wrapping his arms around his upper back. He felt Seiji rub his hair, sleeping soundly. But Sono found it difficult to go to sleep. Like...if he tried, he'd fail. He shut his eyes, trying to force himself to relax. Then, he heard his cell phone vibrating and his eyes widened. He gently pushed himself away from Seiji and turned over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"_Guess what tomorrow is?"_

Sono jolted up in bed, gasping for air. He heard chuckling over the phone and now his heart was racing.

"How did you get my new number?"

"_As always, you underestimate me babe. So, you sleeping now?"_

"Sh-shut up...what do you want?"

_"To let you know that you better come ready for tomorrow. Cause I garantee you won't be able to walk at all. Hehe."_

Sono groaned and hung up, shutting his phone off and set it back on the nightstand, rubbing his hair. He rubbed his eye, avoiding his bandage and shivered violently.

He jumped when he felt Seiji's hand on his shoulder, feeling him grip slightly rough.

"Who was that on the phone?"

"...no one, wrong nu-"

"Don't lie to me! What did I say would happen if you lied to me?"

Sono cringed and let out a scared cry, avoiding his lovers gaze. Again, Seiji realized what he said and slammed his hand against his own forehead. Quickly, he got up closer and hugged Sono tightly, apologizing madly.

"Sono, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry...this whole situation is driving me mad. I don't mean to snap off or yell at you, please know that. I-"

He was stopped when Sono layed his head against his chest. He took Seiji's hand and linked it with his own, whispering,

"I know. I know you don't mean to yell at me. Just like I don't mean to yell at you...Seiji, do you still love me? Even after all I put us through?"

Seiji was stunned at Sono's odd question. That was like asking if...well, he couldn't think of an analogy. Was this what was on Sono's mind all day? Was this why he looked horribly depressed and sick and tired? No, all that was because of Seiji idiotic anger. He never felt the impluse to snap off at Sono at all. But Takeo was driving them insane. He weasled his way into their minds and was literally shredding them. It was breaking Seiji's heart as much as it was breaking Sono's. He kissed the blonds head and tightened his hold in Sono's hand.

"I never stopped loving you and I never will stop. Sono, this isn't your fault and it isn't mine. Everything's going to be ok. I promise. It'll be ok."

He kissed Sono's hand and layed them both back down on their bed, the blond curdled up to his lovers chest. Feeling only 1% at ease, he kissed Seiji's chest and whispered,

"Seiji...are you still thinking of killing him?"

"Never stopped thinking about it. I told you. He hurts you, I kill him. And for three months, he's done more than hurt you, so I'm going to do more than just kill him...why do you ask?"

Sono sighed and shivered. He didn't want to bring this up, but if anything, it would make everyone happy in their own way. So, gulping down the lump in his throat, he said,

"I want you to come with me to see him tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

It was rather cold on Saturday afternoon. The ground was wet with melted snow and slight rain. People were walking around in their usual heavy coats and boots.

Deep inside the ally, smoke drifted from Takeo's mouth and he stared at the cloudy sky. His mind was in another world, thinking of how tonight was going to play. He had to admit, he was a little shaken up. Last night, he had such pleasant dreams...dreams about how great his life was before he went and fucked it all up. He had a great best friend and a wonderful boyfriend. But that one night in Junior High screwed him up royally. Maybe not suddenly, but very slowly.

Sighing, he reached into his shirt and pulled out his locket, opening it to see all their faces again. He couldn't help his smile as he took another drag from his cigarrette. It was that picture that had become so popular in the last few months. He rememered the day this locket came into his life. Sono had wanted them to be in a picture together, then he went and got them changed into a beautiful locket, one for each other them.

Sono had told them, 'So we'll always be together...no matter where we are.'

Takeo traced his thumb over Naoki's face and sighed. That same day they got the lockets, they had a long conversation about it...

-Flashback-

Sono waved at them before he walked into his house, shutting the door and soon, Naoki and Takeo were walking alone, talking to each other about the long day. Takeo wasn't really paying attention to Naoki's words as much as he was staring at the locket. Sono payed for the pictures, he payed for the lockets and payed for the picture to be put inside the 3. Their blond had done so much for them money wise. Takeo smiled. God, he loved that boy.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Takeo was jerked from his mind and looked at Naoki suddenly.

"What?"

"You have this intent look on your face. And you keep staring at your locket like it had you hypnotized. What's up?"

Takeo sighed and looked at his locket again, then said,

"I was going to ask you something...before Sono got us our lockets."

"Oh yeah, I remember. You said it was something that was bugging you. Is it his dad?"

"No, it's not him...well, it's him, but it's not what's bugging me now."

Naoki's brown eyes widened and he tilted his head.

"What's up, man?"

Takeo stopped walking and looked at the sky, trying to find the best way to word this. It was going to be slightly off putting, but it was bugging him for a long time.

"Sono said that he got us these lockets...so we'd feel like we're all together, right?"

"Yeah...Rich Boy's so optomistic latley. You'd think his dad's beating him would mess him up, but he looks kinda good right now. Why?"

"Well, what happens when or if we all move away? We won't be together anymore. And I'm sure that would break Sono's heart."

"Takeo, relax. I'm sure one way or another, we'll be together in the future. Maybe not physically, but in our hearts and minds. We all have goals we want to accomplish. Then, once all our dreams will come true, we'll find each other and have a big, sappy reunion."

"Oh don't say it like that. You're sounding really gay right now."

Naoki chuckled and shook his head, staring at Sono's large house.

"All I'm saying is, I want us all together in one way too. In life and in death. When our time comes, we'll meet up in heaven or hell. But that's something we can't push right now. Is that what's worrying you?"

Takeo's eyes furrowed and darkened when he smiled and nodded. Yeah...that's exactly what he was worried about.

-end flashback-

Takeo closed the locket and let out a shuddering breath. He held the picture to his heart and whispered,

"It's time, Naoki. It's time for all of us to be together again...like Sono wanted us to be."

He checked his watch...6 pm. 3 more hours and it would all be over. He smirked darkly and stretched, thinking over how this would play out. 15 years he waited for this moment. 15 years of searching for their last member of three. It was time.

* * *

><p>Hours later, at the apartment, Sono zipped up his jacket and shivered. He wasn't looking forward to his at all. Especially since Seiji was coming with him. When the blond asked Seiji to come with him tonight, the man was more than willing to agree. He even called up Ashi for something important. Something about a box. Sono didn't pay attention.<p>

Speaking of which, the blond looked over to his lover, who was looking at the box on the couch, shuddering visiably. Tilting his head, Sono walked over to him and set his hand on his shoulder, feeling him jump and gasp, then calm down when he saw it was the blond.

"You startled me."

"S-sorry...Are you ready to go?"

"Not just yet. I'm still...thinking about this."

"Seiji, you wanted to do this. You looked very excited, well, in a dark way. What's stopping you?"

The man sighed and stood, taking the box in his hands and faced his lover. Sono looked at the box curiously. It was a black shoe box with a red X on it. He noticed how Seiji had a tight hold on this box, shaking a little. He smiled.

"I haven't touched this thing since I was 15. I'm a little nervous about using it again."

"What is it?"

Sono took the box as Seiji opened it, pulling the contents out. And Sono's eyes grew wide to a point of them falling out of their sockets. Seiji merely smile and took the item into his hands, looking it over and blowing off some of the dust.

In his hands was a 9mm semi automatic pistol, with at least two magazines sitting in the box as well. And Seiji looked so comfortable holding it. He took one of the magazines out of the box, loaded up the pistol with a sudden click. The click made Sono jump and shake a little. Seiji smiled.

"Well, it's been a while, hasen't it?"

"Seiji...wh-why do you have that?"

"My dad gave it to me as a present when I turned 13. I wasn't allowed to use it until I felt comfortable with holding it and it wasn't until my 15th birthday that I felt at ease with it. He took me out to a shooting range and it turns out I'm a natural with a gun. Nailed 56 targets in less than 10 minutes."

"No, I mean why do you have it? It's against the law in Japan to carry a gun unless you're in law enforcement."

Seiji chuckled and said,

"Well, you might find this hard to believe, but my parents died when I was really young, so I was adopted by another couple. The man was a top chief of police. He was my idol growing up and I was really excited when I could finally use my present. It baffled him went I wanted to go into the drawing field, but he said before I moved to Osaka, 'Take your gun with you. You never know when you might need it.' He even gave me a special permit to use it legally...never thought I'd need to use this thing again for a long time. Hopefully, I'm as good as I was back then."

Seiji clicked the saftey on and set it in his jacket pocket, putting the extra bullets in his other pocket. He heard the blond take a deep breath.

"A manga artist with a weapon. Haha, that's very different."

"Yeah, I figured it would be. I don't tell people about my gun because I don't want them thinking I'm some crazy guy. That's why I have Ashi hold it until I feel I really need it. That's also why I didn't tell you about it. Didn't want you getting scared of me."

Sono laughed into his hand and shook his head. Seiji? Scare him? Hardly. True, their recent fighting scared him, but he found it a little, exciting to know his boyfriend was skilled with a deadly weapon.

Finally, Seiji sighed and said,

"You're sure you want to do this?"

"Yes. Takeo is my problem, but I asked you to come with me in case something happens. I just want to warn you right now. He's crazy, but he's also really smart. He'll know something's up if I make him believe it. I just have to remnd myself to put on a face."

"Can you do that?"

Sono scoffed.

"Seiji, I've been putting on faces for years. It's like...a second instinct to me. Now come on...let's do this before I back out."

Seiji nodded and walked with the blond to the door, slipping on their shoes and they left. Seiji knew what he was getting himself into. All that really mattered was timing. Sono had told him to stay hidden until he gave him a certain signal. While he didn't say what that signal was, Seiji figured it would be a scream. Depending how how bad Takeo was going to abuse him, Sono's screaming could possibly meld together. Seiji had a hard time picturing what he was about to see. All he wanted was to just shoot Takeo right as he saw him. But Sono forced him to agree to let Takeo do what he was going to do and to just wait.

They walked in silence, and far apart from each other. Seiji was at least 9 feet behind the blond, so as not to draw attention. Pretty soon, he saw Sono turn into an ally, assumingly the ally where Takeo was. Seiji quickly plastered himself against the wall and waiting, playing with the weapon in his pocket...then, he pulled out his cell phone.

Inside the ally, Sono walked until he stopped in the dead center, facing Takeo. Said man tossed his cigarrette to the dirt and sighed.

"Come here."

The blond obeyed and walked towards the man, nearly getting to his knees. Before he could, Takeo stopped him and pulled him back up to his feet, staring into those eyes, blue connecting with brown. Then...it happened.

Takeo placed a deep kiss onto Sono's lips, much to Sono's shock. The kiss was...gentle. Soft. It was like they were in High School again. Sono couldn't help it. His body was betraying him as his eyes closed and he almost kissed back. But then, his eyes snapped open again, realizing what was going on. He remembered what Takeo said last week about a kiss to the lips.

_'On the day I decide to kill you, I'll give you one last kiss...that's how you'll know.'_

Sono's hands tried pushing Takeo away, feeling his tongue prod against his lips. Suddenly, Takeo pulled away and smiled.

"It'll be quick. I promise."

"Please don't. I don't want to die."

"None of us want to die, but we can't stop it. Might as well accept it. But don't worry. I'll die with you."

He kissed the blonds lips again, gently and pulled away quickly. He stared into the blonds watery eyes and he wiped the tears away softly.

"Don't fear death, Sono. Embrace it. You'll never feel any kind of pain again. You'll be happy."

"Takeo, please. I'm begging you. Don't do this...I don't want to embrace death. I'm happy living the way I am. How can you be so calm about this?"

Takeo's smile softened and it was a shock to Sono's eyes. Takeo hadn't smile at him like that since...well, before his father started beating him. He rubbed Sono's neck gently and kissed his forehead, his other hand reaching around to wrap around his waist, kind of like he was embracing him. Then, he whispered into his ear,

"Don't you want to be happy? Don't you want peace?...don't you want to see Naoki again?"

Sono's eyes widened and he gasped, tears rolling down his cheeks. What did he say?...see Naoki again? Takeo reached into his shirt and pulled the locket into view. It looked like it was gleaming in Sono's brown eyes. More stunned than he ever was, his hand reached out and touched it, shaking as he opened it, reveling the picture.

"You kept it..."

"Of course I kept it. You said you wanted us to be together. Naoki said he wanted us together in one way. Since he's dead, there's only one way we can all be together and that's in enternal bliss. Isn't that what you wanted? I'm doing this for you? All those people I killed was for you and for Naoki. Yes, he pissed me off when I found out you two were fucking each other, but I couldn't hide the fact that you both were all I had. I told you you were mine and that was all true. I refused to let you be with anyone else and let them soil your body and soul. I-"

Takeo was stopped when Sono slapped him across the face, sending him to his knees. His anger grew...he looked up at the blond who looked absolutley horrified at what Takeo just told him. His eyes were furrowed in tears, his skin quivering.

"What in the hell made you think I wanted you to kill all those people? You took innocient lives away and for what? Not for me and certainly not for Naoki. It was your selfish obbsession that made you do it! You're an idiot! And I never said I wanted us together in death and I certainly doubt Naoki wanted this! Get that through your thick skull right now that I want to stay alive and you're addiction is making you crazy-"

He never finished when he heard a bang and a stinging pain in his leg. A scream tore through his lips as he fell to the dirt, clutching his leg. Takeo's pistol rested there and he said,

"You piss me off sometimes, you know that?"

He got to his feet and walked over to the man, gripping him by his hair and with ninja like speed, Sono felt a blade in his stomach, his brain and his mouth gasping for air. Takeo yanked the blade from the mans stomach and gripped his throat with one hand, squeezing tightly. Takeo saw some blood drip from Sono's closed mouth and he chuckled, licking it up.

"I told you it would be quick. But you had to go and piss me off again, so now you're going to die...nice and slow."

He pushed the blond to the ground, who was gasping for air wherever he could get it. Takeo straddled the blonds groin and tore off his eye bandage, showing his healing black eye. The man smiled and pulled out his blade again, digging into Sono's hands, making him scream and let out chocked sobs.

This continued for a while. Takeo cut into Sono's pale flesh, leaving angry red slices in his wake. His arms and his chest was left with no mercy. Takeo had craved into Sono's left arm, '浮気女' (slut) and proceded to stab into his body. Sono was unresponsive, his body weak from the loss of blood and the stab wound in his belly.

Takeo sat back up and admired his work. Sono looked dead to him, but his chest was still moving up and down, noticably slowly. Smirking, he set his blade aside and grabbed his gun, pointing it at Sono's chest.

"This is where it ends, babe. I'll be with you soon enough."

Before he fired his weapon, he leaned down to kiss the blonds weak and bloody lips. Then he kissed the blonds forehead, leaving a bloody mark there. Takeo pointed his gun again, cocking it and said,

"We're coming home, Naoki. Wait for us."

Suddenly, a bang was heard that wasn't his own and it knocked the gun from his hand, making him yell out in pain. Looking behind him, he gasped as he saw Yakura and Oishi, along with a few other cops with them. Yakura cocked his gun again and screamed,

"Hands where I can see them, Mizuno!"

Takeo scoffed and stood up, grabbing the blonds hair and yanked him to his weak feet. Sono squinted at the lights in his weak eyes, his black eye stinging lightly. He suddenly felt a blade press against his neck and heard,

"Go ahead. Shoot me and I'll slit his pretty little throat. So go on...I dare you."

No one made a move. Oishi gasped in horror at the situation now at hand, not the mention the condition he saw the blond in. When they had gotten Seiji's call, they expected the worst, but this was too much. He lowered his gun, much to Yakura's worry.

"Oishi, raise your weapon! Don't let him get to you!"

But all could see Takeo was serious. He pressed the blade harder on Sono's skin; they all saw the blonds face tighten in nerve.

Takeo smirked. He had them all cornered and at his whim. He backed up a little, but froze when he felt a gun pressed up against the back of his head.

"I'm giving you 5 seconds to let him go."

Takeo quickly turned and was face to face with the man he met on the bus a few months ago. He could see him clearly without his sunglasses on and his eyes widened.

Seiji cocked his gun and glared him down, demanding him to let go of the man in his arms. Takeo was so stunned that his arms grew weak. He saw the mans arm latch onto Sono's arm, pulling him towards him and holding him close, the gun still pointed at Takeo's head. How did he not see this coming? How could he not notice that there was another guy hiding.

Now Takeo was cornered. He had at least five guns behind him and one in front of him. He wasn't really sure what to do now. Then, his eyes latched onto his own gun, resting on the dirt. He slowly made a move to grab it and then screamed as Seiji shot him in the hip, sending him to the dirt. Yakura quickly moved forward and smacked the man across the face with his gun, handcuffing him as he hit the dirt again.

"Mizuno Takeo, you're under arrest for multiple homicides and one attempted murder. We've been after you for years, you psychopath."

Takeo squirmed in his binds and yelled obscenities at the officers, but then from behind him, he heard,

"S-Sono, what are you doing?"

He turned his head, but screamed when he felt a bullet shot into his knee. He looked in time to see Sono cock the gun again and shoot him in his left thigh. Then again in his shoulder. Then again in his ankle.

The look in Sono's eyes was one of crazy intent to kill the man who screwed up his life. His left eye twitched as he shot Takeo in his other shoulder, enjoying that scream. It spurred him forward and he shot him in his other hip, then ready to shoot him in the head. It was then he found he was out of bullets. He was about to turn to Seiji and demand his other magazine, but his eyes widened as he dropped the gun and fell to his knees, coughing up blood...his body could handle no more. It was then his heart suddenly froze mid beat and he collapsed to the dirt, shivering madly.

Takeo was unsure how to react to this as he was being led to the squad car. The sight of the blond he was so obsessed with killing...was now bleeding on the dirt, lifeless...non moving.

Takeo watched in awe as Seiji panicked, taking the blond in his arms, desperatly telling him to hold on. Takeo then felt Yakura dragging him to the squad car and the last thing he saw before the cops drove him off, was Sono's listless brown eyes slowly shut and a smile graced his bloody face.

He did it...he had won. His goal was finshed...oh how he dreamed of this moment and now it had come true...now for phase two...Takeo leaned his head against the glass window, trying so hard not to laugh as the cop drove them down the street, darkness filling the air once more.


	14. Chapter 14

Takeo's POV-

I remember it like it was yesterday. The night of our graduation. A day for all of us to be thrilled and to be excited about...starting our own lives. I can't exactly say the same for many people who either didn't make the cut or are not here to enjoy it. I remember walking in a sitting with my walking partner, some girl I don't even know. My eyes lock onto him, that rich, slutty bastard.

He looks happy sitting with Ami, and she looks happy too. I know what their goals are. Ami, going off to become a famous fashion designer or a model. Phft, she would always tell Naoki about that and he would always tell us. Then, there's him. Going off to be a big shot manga artist in Tokyo probably. My fists clench up under the table, anger slowly boiling after what I saw.

Him and Naoki, on his bed, in his house with his asshole father downstairs, fucking like there was no end to their world. I watched the whole thing. My best friend, moving in and out with such rough pace on my boyfriend...my blood boiled. I refused to let Sono dump me the way he did and now that I see this...I want them both dead.

But instead of just killing them, I hired some guys to rape my blond little whore, so he'd come running back to me. I set the date perfectly. Naoki had basketball practice so nothing could happen...oh I was wrong. I got a call saying they were innturupted and someone was shot. I smiled and demanded to know who they killed. It was only the next day I realized it was Naoki they had shot and killed. And at irst, I was stunned. I had my best friend killed and didn't even realize it. Then I discovered, it was perfect. With Naoki gone, Sono would be all mine.

But of course, didn't happen. He rejected me and in my blind rage, I almost killed him. I beat him half to death and I almost did kill him until his daddy came and saved him.

Now, 15 years later, I'm sitting in the back of a squad car, on my way to a jail center, waiting for Tokyo to come get me. But I feel accomplished. I did it. I killed him. I killed Hanasaki Sono, my little blond angelic whore. I couldn't help but laugh a little as reality set in. He was dead and by now, he was with Naoki like he wanted to be. But no, I had a plan for this moment. My plan was to kill him, then kill myself. I wanted us all together. No matter how much I hated Naoki for what he did, no matter how much I hated Sono for everything, I still loved those two and I wanted to be with them.

Hours later, I'm sitting in my small cell, waiting for them to tell me when the Tokyo police were going to come transfer me. I was happy that my job was finished, and I was going to wait until I went to Tokyo before I killed myself. Before I broke out my first time, I remember a guy who dealed out certain drugs. I could take one too many and pass out dead, going to my 2 best friends. But it was 4 days later and still no word. I laughed, thinking they didn't want me back.

A sudden knock on my cell pulled me from my thoughts and a cop was standing there, a dark look on his face. But I could see some relief and I soon found out why.

"Well, good news you messed up killer. We just got a call from the E.R. Hanasaki's alive and he's slowly coming back to conciousness. Looks like you have one less lock of hair on your wall."

The cop walked away...I was stunned. He was alive...how? He should've killed the man with everything he had left. How was he alive?

I couldn't believe my ears. There was no way in holy hell Sono was still alive after all that. I tortured that slut in every horrible way for 3 months and I knew he couldn't handle any more. He should be dead. His body should've given out...

I screamed in rage and kicked my chair at my cell door. No! This is not how my plan worked! We were supposed to die! How the fuck could he still be alive!

* * *

><p>-Meanwhile...-<p>

Beeping...he heard beeping. And his vision was so blurry, it hurt to open his eyes. The room was so bright. Was it white? Was he dead?

Groaning, Sono's brown left eye weakly opened and he let out a small whimper, blocking his eye from the light. He felt his covered right eye throbbing in pain, but not much to cause large discomfort. He looked over his arms and saw his left arm was bandaged tightly. Why was it bandaged? Where was he?

He layed his hand on his head, trying to breath softly. He realized the beeping, loud and annoying as it was, was a heart monitor. The bright room was a hospital room. And it was then he realized that he was in a recovery room. His memory was slowly coming back. He remembered going to an ally and seeing...Takeo. Oh, That's right. He went to see Takeo and he was about to die. What saved him?

Letting out a soft sigh, he slowly sat up and rubbed his forehead. It was throbbing and he shut his eye, taking slow breaths. When the throbbing died down a little, his eye opened and he looked around the room. It was late afternoon, the sun was setting. He looked to the other side of the room and tilted his head.

He was someone sitting in a chair, seemingly praying. Sono opened his mouth but shut his quickly, feeling his throat burn madly. He whimpered loudly, clutching his throat and his whimper drew the attention of the man sitting in the chair. Those eyes widened and he quickly got up and walked over to the bed. Sono's only eye had horrible vision at the moment, so it was hard to tell who was in the room with him. But when a mop of brown hair came into view, he had a pretty good idea of who was there with him. He felt a soft hand in his hair and lips on his cheek. Then, he was embraced tightly, one hand in his hair, the other around his waist.

Sono knew who it was, but the sound of his voice cracked his heart and tears formed in his only eye.

"I thought I had lost you...oh thank god you're ok..."

The blond choked on his breath and wrapped his arm around Seiji's shoulders, being his other arm seemed limp and useless. They embraced for a while, Seiji kissing his lovers cheek. When they broke apart, Seiji rubbed his blonds neck, looking into his one eye. Sono was a little dazed. His vision was slowly coming into focus, but not by much. His world...it was spinning. He clutched his head and whimpered a little, earning Seiji's concern and worry.

"Sono...can you see me? Can you hear me?"

Yes, Sono could hear and, well, somewhat see him. But he couldn't answer. His throat was on fire and it was so dry. He clutched his throat, hoping Seiji would get the hint. And he heard him let out a soft sigh. Within seconds, the door opened and though Sono could barley see who it was, he assumed it was one of Seiji's friends. No. It was the doctor.

"He's awake...oh thank god. You gave us all a huge scare. Out cold for 4 days. God must have some plans for you if you're still alive. I have some water for you, looks to me like you need it. I'll be back in a moment to run some more tests."

Seiji nodded and the doctor left. The younger looked at his lover, trying to find his cup of water. It was like he was blind.

The blond finally found his water and gulped it down in less than a second. The cold liquid down his throat made him shiver violently, but he shook it away and set the cup down. He cleared his throat and sighed, finally getting out,

"S-Seiji...where am I?"

"You're in the recovery room at the hospital. You've been out for 4 days."

"4 days...did...did I die?"

"Only once, but they brought you back. You almost died twice on the way here. Your heart stopped yesterday, but like I said, they brought you back."

Sono sighed and rubbed his neck, feeling a scar. He fingered it for a few moments, then groaned and set his hand on his lap. It was quiet before Seiji said,

"Sono, you were doing a lot of talking while we were on our way here."

"Talking? What kind?"

"Like, panicked talking. Do you remember?"

The blond ran his fingers through his hair, thinking for a moment. He did slightly remember talking during the ambulance ride. He shut his eyes, trailing through his brain for any kind of memory.

-slight flashback-

"Get a mask on him now! His breathing is horribly low!"

A paramedic nodded and frantically grabbed an oxygen mask, setting it over the blonds bruised mouth and nose, pumping air into his body. His left eye was twitching frantically, his chest breathing very rough and out of stability.

Doctors pulled the bullet out of his leg, trying so hard to ignore his painfilled screaming through the mask. They had injected him with sedative, how could he feel this? One paramedic had told Seiji to hold onto his hand tightly as they finished pulling out the bullet. When he did, they yanked the bullet out of his leg and they cleaned the wound quickly, trying to stop the bleeding.

It seemed to move in slow motion and out of no where, a loud tone was starting to fail and soon, all the blood in Seiji's body went cold. The paramedic holding his mask screamed,

"Shit, we're losing him. Get me 300 volts, quick!"

"Sir, we don't have clearance for-"

"I don't care! Get me 3000 volts!"

In seconds, 300 volts of power was surdged into Sono's chest, making his heart beat normally again. But it happened again after 2 minutes, and they brought him back. The rest of the ride seemed calm, Seiji still holding onto his lovers hand for dear life. He vaugley heard him say something.

"What?"

Sono opened his mouth through the mask, trying to speak.

"What is it? Sono, tell me."

"...N-Naoki...dont...take me..."

"Huh?"

"..I don't wanna go...no...leave me alone...go away!"

The blond was having a panic attack on the stretcher, much to the shock of the paramedics. He was arching and screaming, trying to force away something that wasn't there. They had to force Sono down and restrain him, injecting him with more sedative. It was painful for everyone. Seiji was mystified as he watch his panicking boyfriend suddenly fall against the stretcher, breathing deeply and the mask back onto his body. He spoke a little more, but the rest was unknown mumbles.

-present day-

Sono smiled and shivered.

"I see...I guess I was...a little crazy. I'm sorry."

"No don't apologize. You were shaken up really bad. I'm just glad they helped you when they did."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since you got here. I wasn't about to leave you alone like this. I haven't left your side for four days...I've been right here."

He leaned over and hugged the blond again and kissed his head. Sono let out a very quiet sigh and said,

"Seiji, you need to go home. I'm-"

"No. I am not leaving until you're able to come home with me. Sono, I love you. It's been a nightmare seeing you like this and as much as I believed you were going to make it, there were times I thought I'd lose you...oh by the way."

Seiji reached into his pocket and pulled something out and when he took Sono's hand, the blonds eyes widened. It was his ring. He didn't even remember taking it off. The younger slipped it back onto his ring finger. The blond stared at it, awestruck. Seiji read his reaction and smiled.

"It somehow slipped off as Takeo was beating the hell out of you. I found it before the ambulance showed up and slipped it in my pocket. I was going to give it to you while you were out, to give you some motivation to wake up. But it slipped my mind."

Sono looked at his lover and instantly threw his arms around the youngers neck, hugging him tightly. When Seiji hugged him back, he felt tears on his neck. The younger didn't move. He let his lover cry into his neck, letting out all those feelings. Seiji patted his back and kissed his ear, holding him closer to his body.

"Shhh it's ok. It's over. He's gone and he's not going to hurt you anymore."

He felt Sono suddenly sobbing into his neck, letting out horrid choked hiccups and wrapped his arms tighter around Seiji's warm neck.

"Oh Seiji, I'm so sorry. I never should've gotten you involved in this situation. If things didn't work out the way they did, you could've been killed. Forgive me."

"No...I should be on my knees begging your forgiveness. I acted like such an asshole these last few days when I should've been helping you through this. I'm sorry, Sono...I really am...but one the up and up, this whole thing taught me something."

The blond didn't move his head, but his crying did cease for a moment as he asked,

"What's that?"

Seiji smiled and took his lovers face into his hands, kissing his nose and whispered,

"It made me realize how much you really mean to me. How I would feel if somehow, you were taken from me. I would feel dead inside myself. No reason to go on. I'd even go so far as to join you in the afterlife. Or if someone took you from me physically, I'd kill them. I almost wanted to go against your wished and shoot Takeo until blood spurted from his body..."

Sono stopped him by setting his finger on his lip and smiled.

"I get your point. Relax."

They both chuckled and Seiji kissed his forehead.

"I'm going to go ask the doctors how much longer this is going to be before I can take you home. I'll be back."

The blond nodded, then leaned back in bed, smiling. His heart was thumping madly against his chest, causing the monitor go sky rocket. But he didn't care. He was just so happy that it was all over...and that Takeo was gone.

Sono lifted his arm and stared at his ring. It glistened in the late afternoon sun, a bright orange ray casting it's light on the piece of jewlery. Giggling, he set his hand against his beating heat and turned his head to look out the window. The sun was setting beautifully on the skylines of the city and the oceans.

The blond didn't notice when the door opened, but he heard Seiji talking with the doctor in such an excited voice. So many thanks yous and of course was exchanged and soon, the doctor set his hand on Sono's forehead, making him jump. He heard,

"Hanasaki-kun, are you feeling up to heading home? We've done your neurological tests while you were in your koma, and everything seems to check out. Your wounds will heal in about 4 months and you will need crutches for your bad knee. After a month, start putting some pressure on it, but ease it out. Give your eye at least 2 weeks under the bandage."

"Sensei...I can really leave?"

"As I see it, you're not in harms way anymore. Although, I will perscribe you some medication for your knee. The recovery will hurt a bit, but it's nothing to worry about. You can leave whenever you feel you're ready. If you want, we can run some more tests if you feel you need them...as a suggestion and I do reccomend this. I suggest seeing a therapist...for a little while."

Sono sat up and tilted his head, looking over at his lover, who looked away and itched his neck.

"A therapist? For what?"

"Hanasaki-kun, you went through three months of physical and mental hell from one of the most dangerous killers of Japan. There's not a shred of disbelief that you suffered some mental trauma. I think it's best if you went to see a therapist for a few months. Because, and I say this with the utmost sympathy, you will suffer at least one break down and I've informed Yamada-kun about this. I know you're concerned..."

The blond said nothing, but leaned back against the bed railing. A therapist...it's been years since he's been to one of those. Not since he was a kid. His head was starting to throb again and he whimpered, clutching onto his head, trying to take deep breaths. Seiji sat next to him and wrapped his arms around the blond as the doctor was finishing writing up the perscription. The younger kissed Sono's head and whispered,

"You're coming home...you excited?"

The blond smiled lightly and leaned his head against his lovers chest, enjoying the soft warmth. He nodded and shut his eye, leaning up to kiss Seiji's cheek. And Seiji chuckled, rubbing the blonds arm. The doctor walked up and said,

"Alright, I have your perscription filled out and some future check ups. I also wrote the name of a great therapist who I think will be able to help you. I want you to call him and set up an appointment later when you feel up to it. Also, before you go to sleep, I want you to take some anti-anxiety pills I'll give you. Trust me, it will help a lot. Understand?"

"I understand...where are my clothes?"

"I think Yamada-san brought some clean clothes everyday since you were brought here, in hopes you'd wake up."

Seiji nodded and got up to walk to his chair, grabbing a bag and pulled out one of Sono's blue sweaters and a pair of black jeans. He then pulled out a pair of socks and his shoes. The blond smiled and said,

"You're so kind, Seiji. You really are."

He saw Seiji's ears burn bright pink and it made Sono chuckle to himself. He loved it when Seiji blushed like this.

It took the blond about 20 minutes to get dressed, with his bad knee and his sore arm. After Seiji helped him with his socks and shoes, He helped him up and walked him out of the room, into the waiting room and the younger signed him out. As he did, Sono looked around at the people in the waiting room. One of them looked as though he was also beaten within an inch of his life, but it turned out he had the flu. He saw a little girl, crying because of a broken arm. It broke his heart, but he tried to overlook these things.

Finally, he followed Seiji out the door and was hit with the cold air, making him shiver and curdle closer to Seiji's warm body. The younger shifted the bag on his shoulder and wrapped his arm tighter around the shaking man as they walked to the edge of the street. As they walked to the end of the sidewalk, Sono shivered again and clutched Seiji's shirt tighter.

"You ok?"

"Yeah...just cold. And excited...Seiji, has anything changed in four days?"

"Haha, very doubtful. Mail box might be overflowing, but thats about it."

The blond smiled and layed his sore head on his lovers shoulder, seeing him hail a taxi...the taxi ride was comforting. Sono had his head against Seiji's chest, his arms wrapped around his waist. The younger smiled and kissed the blond locks that were in desperate need of a shower. In fact, he needed a desperate need of a lot of things. A shower, a full meal, and a nightly sleep to make him feel like he was dead...Seiji suddenly shivered. The thought of Sono dead...he already thought the blond was going to die days ago and was traumatized at the realization that Sono could die.

A soft moan awoke him from his thoughts and he saw Sono curdled up against his chest, his eye closed, relaxing. It made the younger smile and tighten his hold on his lovers shoulder. He wasn't dead and he wasn't going to be dead for a long long time. Seiji would be sure of it. He linked his hand into Sono's quivering hand, rubbing his knuckles and kissing his temple. He didn't care the taxi driver was giving him an odd stare. All that mattered was his lover was alive.

-that night-

Seiji sat at his desk, tapping at his paper. 2 more pages, all he had to finish were 2 more freaking pages. He had half of it done and he wanted to get it done, so he'd have more time to spend with his recovering lover, who was now in the shower, cleaning up his sore body with steaming hot water. Which made Seiji turn his head to the door. Sono had been in there for a while. Supposing he would take a while with his bad knee.

The younger's eyes remained on the door, smiling as it opened and the blond walked out, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He was dressed in nothing more than a light blue pajama shirt and black boxers. His knee was wrapped in a fresh set of banadges and a knee brace. Sighing, he shook his head and opened his eye to stare at his lover. Seiji was smiling at him softly and it made the blond smile, not to mention blush.

"What are you staring at?"

"Just you. You look a lot better. Less stressed out."

"Who wouldn't be after a huge meal and a hot shower? I feel amazing."

He ran his fingers through his wet yellow hair with one hand, the other hand rubbing his stomach. When they had gotten home, Seiji had made them both a huge meal, to celebrate Sono's somewhat recover and his beating of death. He had never seen the blond eat so much in such a short time, but it made him laugh after a while. Sono hadn't eaten much of anything in 3 months due to all the stress. So he was content with watching him regain all he missed out on.

After his large meal, Sono had went to take a long shower, which gave Seiji a chance to catch up on his last two pages. But seeing his lover like this now, he couldn't think about work. He got up from his chair and quickly wrapped his arms around Sono's thin waist, leading him back to his chair and sat back down with the man in his lap. Sono chuckled and moved a little to make his new seat comfortable, wrapping his arms around Seiji's neck, kissing his forehead. This was all he dreamed of, all he wanted. A comforting embrace after 3 months of living hell.

Seiji smiled bigger and leaned in to kiss his lovers neck, inhaling his scent. He smelt amazing, natural again. Instead of smelling fear, sadness, and stress, he smelt like peace and his natural smell, not to mention the smell of the body wash he used. Seiji ran his hands up into Sono's nightshirt, feeling his skin. It was so smooth and soft, fresh and glowing. He felt the man in his lap shiver madly, digging his nails into Seiji's shirt. The younger then inhaled the scent of his lovers hair. It smelt musky, but fruity at the same time. He tilted the mans head to face him, staring into his one eye. The white bandage seemed like it was about to fall off.

"Maybe we should change this before you go to bed. What do you think?"

Sono blushed and set his hand over his eye, shaking his head.

"I don't want you to see it. I don't even want to see it...it looks horrible I know."

"Hey now, I never would think anything on you would look horrible. C'mon, let me change your bandage. After that, I'll give you your meds and set you to sleep. You really need it."

The younger stood with the blond now in his arms, sitting him in his desk chair. He soon left to reach into the paper bag he had sitting on his bookshelf and took out another eye bandage and some ointment. He walked back to his lover and got on one knee, reaching out to remove Sono's used bandage. Sono flinched and gulped, unsure of how Seiji would take looking at his swollen black eye. And once the bandage was removed, Sono froze in his seat.

He knew how it looked...swollen, black, ugly, everything Sono figured it would look like. He had such a hard time changing it himself since each time he would stare at it, he would panic and vomit, unable to do it. He heard Seiji take in a large inhale, as if gasping at the intense look of it. But it seemed as though he didn't care. Sono felt his lovers hands cup his cheeks and lean forward, letting the blond feel the odd feeling he really didn't expect to feel.

He felt Seiji's warm lips touch his aching eye before gently covering the area with the ointment, then covered it up with the fresh bandage.

"There. Got it done in less than a minute. That wasn't too bad, was it?"

"Heh, no I guess not...does it look bad?"

"Not very. It looked bad, but it's healing. Maybe after a month, you can take off the bandage forever."

Seiji helped him up and hugged him, rubbing his back and his hair. The blond smiled and nuzzled into his lovers warm chest, but suddenly felt his knee acting up. He groaned, digging his nails into Seiji's arms. It sent a signal and within moments, Sono had taken his anti-anxiety pills and had sat in his bed, debating on if he should lay down or not. It had been a while since he actually relaxed in bed, but since Takeo was in jail, he guessed it was better now than never again.

He layed down in bed, feeling his back pop and he moaned lightly, curdling into the pillows. Oh god...he missed his bed. He missed these pillows...

He felt Seiji's hand in his hair again and he looked up at him, smiling and extended his arms out to him. The younger smiled and leaned down to cradle the blonds head in his arms, rubbing his neck softly. Sono wrapped his arms around his lovers shoulders and forced himself to look at the man he fell for. And he smiled. Seiji's eyes, his skin, his scent, his body, his everything. Sono may have missed his bed, but he missed his lover more than anything in this world.

Seiji helped him through so much in these horrific months. True, it had gotten rocky between them, but in the end, it was fixed.

"Sono...may I kiss you?"

And the blond nodded, bringing their lips together in a burning kiss that left Seiji nearly crying and Sono dizzy with happiness. Their kiss was soft, yet passion filled and full of fire. It almost killed Seiji to pull away but pretty soon, Sono was going to be near sleepy as hell pretty soon and he wanted him to get some rest. He pulled away and kissed Sono's forehead, rubbing his cheeks. The blond smiled and whispered,

"Seiji...thank you."

"Hm? For what?"

"For everything. Had I not told you what was going on, Takeo would've killed me and you wouldn't have known. You even risked your own life to help me...I can't tell you how stupid I think that is, but nonetheless, thank you. You saved me."

Seiji gave a small grin and sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'd do it a million times over. But I have to ask. What happened just before you passed out in the ally? You snatched my gun and went insane and-"

Sono stopped him by sighing loudly. Obviously, Seiji touched a nerve, but the blond said bleakly,

"I didn't do that for me...I didn't do that for the people he killed...I did that for Naoki. I wanted to avenge him by ending Takeo's miserable life by my own hands...I went crazy. But I couldn't take it anymore and I passed out...but it doesn't matter anymore. I was given another chance to go on...Seiji, I'm really sleepy. Can we go to bed?"

Seiji chuckled and nodded, jumping off of the bed and covered up his blond lover, noticing how his eye shut quickly and his breathing evened out. Sighing, the younger removed his shirt and jeans, leaving himself only in his boxers and went to shut off all the lights and lock up the apartment; His work could wait till morning.

Slowly, he crawled into bed and gingerly wrapped his arms around Sono's small frame, holding him close to his body.

In this moment, all thoughts of the last three months left Sono's mind and he finally felt something he hadn't felt in such a long time...

...he felt at ease once again.

* * *

><p>And you thought I'd actually let him die. Haha, no I'm not that mean<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

You ever have one of those moments where you just sit...and think 'what if?'

The questions of 'what if' always pass our mind from time to time and we never can think of a straight answer. Like...it's a puzzle that will never go away.

For Sono, that's how he thought at this moment. He layed on the large bed, hands behind his head, staring at the dark ceiling with his good eye. He had been in the same spot for hours, just thinking about this whole experiance. It was quite an experiance as well to watch on the news, reporters saying that Takeo would be transfered to a maxuim security prision in Tokyo for a year, then sent to somewhere in Europe, no parol, nothing. Seiji was, of course, excited to see the madman put in prison. Sono just sat there, silently pondering to himself about things.

There was so much he wanted to say to Takeo before he left and he might not ever get the chance to when he was sent to Tokyo. He had until Saturday to decide upon seeing the madman. But there was something holding him back. And it wasn't fear that was holding him back.

It was Seiji that was holding him back. He was afraid to tell the younger about what he wanted. He knew Seiji had fantasies about killing the crazed man himself since he was dragged into the situation by mistake. He knew the younger would possibly be furious if he knew that Sono wanted to see Takeo, or inwardly wanted to.

But there were so many things that Sono wanted to say to him. He was desperate to know what the hell happened to the boy he loved all those years ago. He sighed and turned on his side, staring at the closet. He was tired and hungry, but he didn't want to get out of bed yet. He was comfortable after his usual nap.

He heard the door open, along with footsteps to their bed. The weight of the bed dipped a little and the blond felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a little. He smiled.

"I'm awake, Seiji, relax."

"Oh, hehe sorry. Why are you sitting here in the dark? Tired?"

"Nah, not really. Just thinking to myself. I'm also really comfortable."

Seiji smiled and leaned over to kiss the side of Sono's head; The blond smiled and sat up, rubbing his eye. He raised his arms to stretch, popping his bones and groaning to himself. As his arms were raised, Seiji dipped his hands into his lovers sweater, rubbing his beautiful skin. The blond smiled, allowing the man to caress his soft skin, teasing it with his fingertips. His hands trailed a little higher and Sono found himself wanting those fingers to touch his nipples, teasing him to desire.

But the hands faded and a kiss was pressed against his cheek, making him blush. He wanted them to make love again, to rid all those horrible memories from his mind. But it was hard to grasp it. He knew he wasn't ready for it. After all the rape and abuse Takeo condoned on him, sex was the last thing he wanted, but it was what was on his mind when he was around Seiji...not that he'd every say it.

Seiji smiled and said,

"I made dinner if you want some? You've been in here all day. Hungry?"

"...I could eat."

Seiji helped the blond out of bed and walked with him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Immediantly, Sono's nose was hit with the sweet smell of...chicken? Was it chicken he was smelling? Whatever it was, it smelt really good.

The blond smiled and limped over to the table, sitting in a near by chair and watched as Seiji went to prepare their plates of chicken curry...they ate their dinners in silence, comforting silence and soon, Seiji looked up at his lover, who was picking at the last few scrap of chicken on his plate. He had a contimplative look on his face, full of thought and it made Seiji feel a little uneasy.

He reached over and took his lovers hand, rubbing his thumb.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hm? Oh nothing...just thinking."

Seiji took as bite of his meal, a curious look burrowed in his brown eyes.

"About?"

Sono sighed and set down his fork. He knew that was coming and in all honesty, he didn't want to talk to his lover about it. But this was something that had been set on his mind for ages. Gulping, he rubbed his neck and his fingers came in contact with the tape holding onto his eye bandage. Shivering, he set his hand in his lap and tried to look into Seiji's eyes.

Although he didn't want to tell him, he knew he had to.

"Seiji...I have a request."

The younger's eyes perked suddenly, as if something was just shot at him and missed. He removed his fork from his mouth and stared at the blond sitting across the table, a fearful look in his one eye.

"A request? Sono, don't make it sound like I'm keeping you here against your will. I only said you should take it easy for a little while...but I guess while we're on the subject, what's your request?"

Seiji noticed how bad Sono was fidgiting in his seat, trying to find the words to use to ask this question. He knew Seiji would soooo not approve of such a favor but as of now, it was all he wanted. He gulped again and took a deep breath, seeing no other way to end the topic.

"I want to see Takeo before he leaves for Tokyo."

As blunt as it was, it gave Sono the reaction he expected. Seiji nearly choked on his food, coughing madly and when he finally calmed down, he looked at the blond and the fiery anger in his eyes returned. He stood and slammed his hands against the table.

"Why in holy hell would you want to see him? After what he did to you, I want to be there to see his execution! He put you through hell and back...and now that you're finally recovering, you want to see him? Forget it! I can't allow you to do something so recless and-"

Then came a response that Seiji didn't expect at all. Sono stopped him by standing, well, trying to stand, and slammed his own hands on the table, his good eye now ablaze with fury. And it was then Seiji had realized something quite...new.

"You watch your mouth! I could give two shits about what Takeo did to me! Seiji, look at me! Does it look like I care what else he does to me? There's nothing he can do to me that he hasen't done already...he might've hurt me...he might've raped and humiliated me...but regardless of all that...he is still my first...and foremost...my best friend. He's the first boy I opened up to outside my family. He's the first boy I gave my heart to...he was my first kiss...and even now as I look back on it...I was in love with him before Naoki came into our lives...He was my first love and he opened me up to so many things...he's always been my best friend, even when he went missing...So I don't care what you say...I'm going to see him, weither you like it or not! You can't stop me...!"

Sono sat back down, taking deep breaths, trying to calm down after his sudden outburst. He set his hand on his forehead and hummed, easing his breathing. Meanwhile, Seiji stood there, slightly stunned, more so afraid. That look in his lovers good eye was burning with rage and fury like he hadn't seen before. It made him slightly afraid of the blond, but he sighed and walked over to the man, setting his hands on his shoulders.

"Sono...you're right. I can't stop you from doing what you think you should do. I'm just worried about you is all. I hardly know this man and after all you've told me, all you've gone through then and now, it boils my blood. All I want to do is wring his neck...but as it stands, if you think this is what you need to do, then I won't stop you. I'll give you as much of my support as I possibly can. Just...don't do anything careless, ok? I want to see you home in one piece."

Sono smiled and set his hand on one of Seiji's feeling the warmth radiating from his palm. He turned in his seat and was greeted with Seiji's warm lips on his, running his hands softly through his hair. The blond's eyes shut lightly and wrapped his own arms around his lovers neck, gripping at his shoulders when the younger scooped him up in his arms, their lips still connected. When they finally broke apart, Sono layed his head on Seiji's chest, smiling to himself. He heard his lover let out a soft sigh and ask,

"When?"

"Probably...tomorrow or Thursday...since he leaves Saturday. I need to call Yakura and clear it with him."

"You know he won't be as lenient. He'll you're as crazy as I think of you now."

"Regardless, this is something I must do. It'll give me closure and I need to put this ugly past behind me. In order to do such...I need to exchange words with Takeo before he's gone. Trust me, Seiji. I'm not an idiot. I have every scenario layed out in my mind about what could happen to me. And I know how to handle it."

Seiji smiled and kissed Sono's eye bandage, leaving a tingling feeling in Sono's bad eye. But it made the blond smile and was gently set down, easing on his bad leg. The younger rubbed his head and whispered,

"I do trust you, will all I have. Just be careful."

Sono merley chuckled and kissed his lovers shoulder, nodding.

"Believe me. Carefull has been etched in my mind for years...just never acted upon it until now."

They both chuckled and embraced before Sono limped over to the phone on his crutches. It took a few moments to dial Yakura's number and it took about 45 to convince him to allow Sono to see Takeo before the week was over. At first, Yakura was less than pleased to hear the blonds humble request. He called him a madman and a masocist for even thinking of seeing that devil. He also claimed Sono had a death wish for such a favor. But the blond gave him perfect reasoning to see the madman, even though Yakura still tried so hard to talk him out of it...

Sono merely hung up and dropped the subject, thinking of how to approach the man who screwed up his love life. Shivering, He rubbed his arms and limped over to the couch, plopping on it and sighed loudly.

Later that night, as Seiji continued to work while his lover lay on the couch, thinking, the younger set down his pencil and asked,

"What time do you leave tomorrow?"

The sudden question made Sono gasp and jump, sitting up quickly. When he looked at Seiji, he saw a look of stun on his face. Then, he chuckled.

"Did I startle you?"

"Only slightly...um...sorry, my mind was miles away. What did you ask me?"

"I asked when you were going to see him tomorrow. Is that what was on your mind?"

"Heh...kind of. That and how I'm even going to approach him. I mean, he was my friend so many years ago...it was easy to talk to him then...now I'm not so sure."

Seiji rubbed his hair and tried to think of something to give Sono some kind of courage. But the blond was right in a way. Takeo had changed in a way that Sono found it difficult to form words. How they could talk in that alley was a mystery, but then, that was where all that torture took place. Talking wasn't nessacary. Nor was it wanted. Seiji knew Sono was going to have a difficult time approaching Takeo after all that...

* * *

><p>That next morning, Sono stood in front of the mirror, looking over his form. He was dressed in a black long sleeved shirt and blue jeans, a black belt around his waist. His blond hair patted down wet from the shower he took minutes prior. His bandaged eye covered tightly, along with his knee. He was quiet...but his mind was racing. He knew this was going to be tough and was going to be tough himself. He would not allow Takeo to get under his skin...not again.<p>

His eye widened in the mirror when he saw Seiji wrap his arms around his waist, moving his hair from his neck and kissing that shaking skin. His soft hands rubbed his shurning stomach through the shirt and his lips trailed to his ear.

"You're trembling...nervous?"

The blond let out a shuddering sigh and an unsure nod.

"Extremely."

"Don't be...I have faith that you'll be strong with this approach. Like you said, there's nothing more he can to you than he alreay has. Relax, I trust you."

Sono smiled and leaned back against his lovers chest, his eye closing in comfort as the younger swayed them gently. He then pressed his lips against the others, kissing with such nervousness and uncertainty. Seiji felt his lovers lips trembling against his and pulled away, rubbing his cheek.

"Sono, relax. It'll be ok...are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"I'm sure...I need to do this alone. Takeo's always been my problem and others have been doing things for me. It's time I did things for myself regarding this situation. I'll be fine."

But the tone of Sono's voice said differnent as he slipped on his coat. Seiji could hear the doubt in his lovers shaking voice and set his hands on his shoulders, kissing the top of his head.

"I'll be a call away if you need me. Be careful."

The blond nodded and slipped on his shoes, grabbed his cellphone and slipped it in his pocket, his fingers hitting cold metal that made him shake. Taking in a deep breath, he walked out the door and heard Seiji shut it behind him. He was alone, but it was the way it had to be. Leaving the complex, he walked down the busy street to the bus station. As he waited, his fingers played with the metal in his pocket. It would serve some kind of purpose for this meeting. A meeting Takeo was unaware about.

The bus finally came and as he piled on with the others, he found his heart beating loudly in his chest. When he sat down and the bus started moving, his hands went to his ears and his eye widened. He had to urge to put ear plugs in his ears...and expected to hear music. That was his break away from reality when he was a teenager. How odd to feel the urge again. Siliently, he set his hand in his lap and watched the city lights roll by as the bus drove down the road. He leaned his head against the window, his eye closing in thought.

His mind was moving at such a slow pace, as if trying to piece together the words he wanted to say. His hand twitched in his lap and a sudden voice woke him from his thoughts. It was the driver, informing them of their next stop. Looking around, he saw there were less people on the bus than he remembered. Pulling out his phone, he saw it had been at least 15 minutes since he got on the bus...he had fallen asleep for a few moments and realized the next stop was his own. When the bus came to a stop, he got up and walked off the bus, turning to walk to the police station. He knew people were staring at him, mostly because of his limping and his covered eye, but he didn't care...this had to happen.

Finally, he walked inside the office and saw Yakura sitting in a chair, smoking and looked up to see him, standing quickly. Sono gave a weak smile as Yakura walked over to him and set his hand on his shoulder.

"It astounds me that you're still alive...to be aware that you want to do this...you do know what you're getting yourself into, don't you?"

"Yes...I put thought into this, Yakura-san and I have to do this. It will give me some kind of closure, if any. Please...let me see him."

Yakura sighed and took a drag out of his smoke, blowing it to the side.

"There's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?"

Sono shook his head and sighed. Yakura sighed as well and mentioned for him to follow. They walked to the back of the station into a jail storage for criminals who were in line for departure to other prisons. They all stared at the blond who was limping behind a Tokyo detective to the very back of the storage. Then, they stopped and Yakura extended his hand to a door.

"He has his own room?"

"Not too many people can say they've commited crimes like his in Japan. He's a terror and was confinded so yes, he has his own cell...Hanasaki-san, there's still a chance you can back down and go-"

"No. I have to do this. If I don't, I'll never recieve closure for the past. Let me in."

Yakura groaned and turned to unlock the large door and he said,

"I opened his cover door, but in regards to his cell...I'll give you that key. If you feel brave enough to go further with this madness, you can go inside his cell...I pray you know what you're doing."

He handed Sono a key and walked away, leaving the blond to stand there shaking, key in hand. There was no turning back from a decision he knew had to happen. Gulping and swallowing his fear, he opened the door and walked inside, shutting the door behind him and slipped the key into his coat pocket.

He turned and saw the man sitting in his cell, only bars seperating them. He was dressed in an all orange prision suit, sitting on his bed, in a praying position. The blond gulped again and walked up to the cell door, his hands resting on it.

He saw the man jump at the sudden small noise and he looked up, seeing the blond standing there, a look of small fear and determination on his face. The man didn't move as he weakly managed out,

"Sono...wha-what are you-"

"I came to talk to you before you left...and I'm not leaving...until you and I finish up where our past left off...I want answers and I want them now..."

TBC...


	16. Chapter 16

Takeo wasn't expecting this. He knew he was in for a world of shit when he got the news he was being moved to Tokyo for a year, then to Europe. So he was slightly expected to see guards come and harass him as usual.

He didn't, however, expect to see the very man he abused, raped, humiliated, standing there with a look of want on his face. It stunned him...not to mention confused him.

He stood and said,

"What are you doing here?"

"Did you not hear me? I said I came to talk to you."

Takeo glared and turned his back and walked to the back wall, resting his arm against the stone and said,

"I don't want to talk to a rich cunt like you. Go away."

Sono rested his head against the cell bar and said quietly,

"I'm not rich...you know that. But that's not why I'm here."

Takeo said nothing and sighed to himself. He turned to look at the blond male, seeing his brown eye gleam in hope. He didn't want to see him. Sono was the last person he ever wanted to see before his move to Tokyo. But here he was, in the flesh, alive and well. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the blond, stopping within five feet of him and glared him down. This man got him put in jail again and he still had dreams of seeing him dead.

But now, as he stood before him, Takeo saw how much he did to him. And inside, he felt...guilty? What? No, Takeo Mizuno felt no guilt for anything he did and for the people he killed. Why was it this man got under his skin? He growled and said,

"I could've killed you...I should've killed you...how the fuck are you still alive?"

Sono's eye tilted down to the right and he said,

"It wasn't the right time for me to die, I suppose...I didn't want to go yet."

"But that was my plan! It should've gone all to formation! How the fuck did it fail? How-"

"Plan? What Plan?"

Then...Takeo grew silent, hand set to his mouth. Fuck...he let it slip. Groaning, he walked away to his bed and sat down, hands buried in his black hair. He knew he had let something valuable to him slip to someone who should'nt know anything about it. Now, he knew Sono was staring at him, curious about his 'plan'. He sighed loudly, trying to avoid to topic. But the blond gripped the bars, staring at him with such burning curiousity.

"Takeo, what plan? Tell me. I came to talk to you."

"...No...go away."

"I'm not going anywhere. Takeo, please. I came to talk to the person who opened me up to the world beyond my solitude. Not the killer he became..."

Takeo made no move to respond and Sono grew persistant. He gripped the bars tighter and said,

"You might not be willing to talk to me, so you can just listen. Years ago...I sat alone under a cherry blossom tree everyday because no one would even talk to me. I was alone...until you came and approached me. You were my first friend, the only person outside my family I could trust with whatever I had. Then...then you kissed me in 6th grade. You were my first kiss, my first love intrest."

Takeo tilted his head and looked at the blond with such stunning confusion. And Sono saw he had touched a nerve, so he went on.

"Yes...wither you believe it or not, you were the first person I fell in love with, not Naoki. Your jet black hair, your piercing blue eyes, I fell for it all. You were so kind to me. You were different from everyone else. And I don't know what happened to you that caused you to change into the man you are now, but I didn't like it all. Why do you think I went to Naoki for comfort in high school? Because you were gone. When I broke up with you, it was because you changed into someone else, someone I didn't like. And now, years later you suddenly appear and want to kill me. You could've done at graduation, but you didn't...you tried to kill me again and couldn't. You always hesitated and someone stopped you everytime...you-"

"Enough, I get your point. I don't want to discuss this anymo-"

"Well I do! Takeo, please...talk to me. What happened to you? You took away the two boys I fell in love with...you took away Naoki and you took away the Takeo I first fell in love with. Why? What did we do to make you hate us? Why did you want us dead?"

And for the first time in a long time, Takeo sighed in defeat and stood, walked over to where to the blond was and got closer, gripping the bars and stared into Sono's good eye. God those eyes...those brown eyes...eyes he could get lost in...he reached out and caressed the blonds cheek, making Sono jump suddenly at the soft touch. But he relaxed against it, knowing that he touched some nerves in his words and maybe now Takeo wouldn't harm him. Takeo continued to caress his cheek softly and ran his thumb over the tape that held the bandage over his eye.

He reached out to run his fingertips over the blonds neck, feeling the skin tremble under his fingers. It was a comforting silence between them and Takeo felt two differnet urges corsing through his veins.

One urge was to ring his hands around the blonds neck, forcing the air out of his body, feeling the life fade from his core. To see his eye fade into white death and his goal would be completed.

However, the other urge was to take him in his arms and kiss him like he used to, assuring him that nothing had changed. That deep down, he was still the same Takeo Mizuno that won over Sono's heart. But even then, he knew it was a lie. The Takeo he was long ago was dead and forever gone. The killer had taken over his form, but somehow, the blond hadn't changed. He still got under his skin...in pictures and in reality.

He removed his hands and sighed again, moving away from him and leaned against the wall again, mumbling to himself. He looked up at the blond and said,

"You really want to know what happened? You really want to know what changed me?"

Sono nodded and leaned closer to the bars, eager. Takeo shuddered and said,

"Your father...your fucking father changed me. After that night, the night he beat the shit out of you for seeing us kiss, it sparked something in me. Somehow, I felt excited seeing him hurt you. Excited and frightened all at once. So, I tried to fight the thrill by abusing anyone I found worthy of my hands, but it didn't satisfy me. It went like this through all of high school. And when I saw you and Naoki...having sex in your bed, I went fucking crazy. I suddenly wanted the two of you under my hands, hurt and bruised. I wanted you to suffer the most."

"Is that why you took Naoki from me? Because you saw us? Because you were jealous?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I was one who instigated those men to rape you so you'd coming running back to me. I didn't expect Naoki to get in the way. Believe me Sono, Naoki's death was entirely a miscouculation. But even as I say that, I'm not sorry that it happened. I'm glad he was killed so you would be all mine...heh, but that didn't happen all that well either, now did it. To answer your last question, yes I was jealous. Madly jealous."

The blond gulped and leaned his head against the cell bars again, as if not surprised by this confession. He felt tears in his eye, but refused to let them fall. Deep down, he knew Takeo's reasons for all his murders and other crimes. But none of it mattered now. He wanted to see HIS Takeo again. Not the monster who took his place.

He extended his arm out to the man and said,

"Takeo, I don't hold any kind of grudge against you for what you did in the past...that's why it's the past. Yes, I'm still angry for what you did and I was scared of you for years. You gave me nightmares after that night to a point where I refused to sleep. But please...let me see the real you again. Not the killer you became. I want the boy I grew up with back...I want my best friend back..."

Takeo stared at the extended hand, but made no move to reach out. He found it odd that Sono was speaking to him like this. After all the hell he put him through, he wanted to see 'the real him' again. Sighing, Takeo stood and remained by the wall, staring at the blond, eye desperate for his touch.

Suddenly, Takeo felt it again. The love he felt for the blond once before, rekindled and aflame again. No longer envisioning him as a bloody victim of his dreams, he saw him as the high schooler he loved for than the world he grew to hate. His feet betrayed him and soon, his hand was connected with Sono's, rubbing his knuckles lightly, feeling the warmth. He felt that same hand caress his own cheek, feeling the mans soft skin...he grasped it with his own hand and whispered,

"Why are you acting like this? I put you through the worst torture anyone could go through. I took away the boy who stole your heart from under me...I threatened to kill everyone you knew...I tried to kill you...why all of a sudden are you treating me like I'm your friend again?"

And Sono smiled, rubbing Takeo's cheek with his thumb, whispering back,

"Because through your murderous exterior, I still see the good in you. I always have. You might not believe it through all the blood that's tainted your hands, but I do. I came wanting to talk to you about it all and it's what I got. I know the reason you went crazy, but tell me what this plan of yours was? Why did it take you so long to kill me, or try to?"

Takeo placed his hand over the blonds and removed it from his cheek, sighing to himself. No way Sono was going to let this go. Might as well let it out now.

"My plan was...to reunite us."

"Huh?"

"After Naoki was killed, I admit, I was shocked and hurt to know my best friend was gone. Even knowing he was fucking you on the side, I was still hurt. And I knew this would change things between you and me since he was gone and I didn't want that to happen. So after I left Fukushima, I started planning it all out...find you, torture you to the brink of madness, then kill you...so then I would kill myself. So we could all be together again. All I wanted was for us to be together and to be happy."

He shuddered and then Sono saw something he had never once seen before...a tear. A tear from Takeo Mizuno's eye. It trailed down his cheek and instantly, Sono reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. He had never seen Takeo cry ever in his life and to see him show this kind of emotion...it made him happy. Takeo was still human. He was still the boy Sono knew all those years ago.

He wiped the tear away and rubbed Takeo's cheek again, staring at him. The man rubbed Sono's hand and sniffed, knowing the blond reached into his heart and yanked at his heart strings. He reached out and rubbed the blonds own cheeks, laying his forehead against the bars.

"I want to touch you...I want to hold you again."

Though the request was out there, Sono didn't think it was a wise idea at the moment. Takeo could easily be lying and would kill him the moment he unlocked his cell door. But he was willing to take the risk.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, slowly unlocking the cell door and quickly stepped inside, locking it again and set it back in his back pocket. When he turned, he saw Takeo stare at him, fists clenching. Suddenly, Sono felt his blood quicken and he slowly backed up. But yet again, Takeo surprised him.

The man stepped forward and tried to hold the man against him again. He was nervous, which was new to him. But he saw the blond smile weakly, whispering,

"Orange was never your color...I perfered you in black."

Takeo smiled and chuckled, stepping forward again and slowly, very slowly, wrapped his arms around the blond, holding him to his chest and rubbing his head. He felt Sono wrap his arms around his waist, nuzzling his chest. Takeo set his head on the top of Sono's blond locks, inhaling lightly.

"You smell so good...I envy your boyfriend...I wish I could take you away from him."

Sono visiably tensed up in Takeo's arms, much to the mans discomfort.

"Relax, you little shit. I won't do anything like that. I'm perfectly content with this..."

He kissed the top of Sono's head, rubbing his neck. The blond relaxed in Takeo's arms again, gripping onto his jail suit.

"Sono, if this is out of turn, I need to know...can I kiss you?"

The blond's eye widened at the request...a kiss...from Takeo Mizuno. He remembered those kisses in school. They always got his blood pumping and his heart throbbing. He looked up at the man and blushed.

"I-I don't know, Takeo...it wouldn't be fair to Se-"

"I know, but please, I want this. I want to feel your lips again. Your kisses meant everything to me. Your beauty, your smile, your eyes..."

Takeo reached up and touched the eye bandage, and Sono jumped, snapping his hand away. But Takeo moved again, slowly removing it and watched as Sono shut his eyes tightly. The bandage was then removed and Takeo's eyes widened at the sight of the black eye. It wasn't as swollen as before, but it was still purple and swollen to where Sono still couldn't open it. He touched it tenderly, leaning down to kiss it.

Finally, Takeo leaned down and slowly took Sono's lips in his, rubbing his neck gently. He wrapped his arms around the blonds waist and the other in his hair, deeping the kiss to a point of breath taking madness.

Sono also felt the affects. The moment Takeo kissed him, all the good memories came flooding back. He shut his eye and wrapped his arms under Takeo's arms, feeling the man deepen the kiss. He felt the mans tongue prod against his lip and he couldn't help himself. His mouth opened and moaned lightly as Takeo's tongue wrapped around his own, drawing moan after moan from each man.

The need to breath took over and they broke apart, taking in deep breaths to fill their burning lungs. Takeo smiled, along with the blond and Sono whispered,

"My god...I had almost forgotten how amazing your kisses felt."

"Mmm, likewise."

Takeo pressed a small kiss to his lips again and ran his fingers through his blonds hair.

"Sono, run away with me. I can escape from prision again and we can start again. Go where no one knows my name...like America. I-"

"Takeo...you know I can't."

Takeo moved him so he can glared into his eye. Now, he was angry.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Takeo...I admit, I enjoy being held by you again. It reminded me of all the good I feel in you. Your kisses feel amazing...but their nothing in comparrasion to the man I fell for now. I'm in love with someone else, Takeo. I'm sorry..."

Takeo sighed and kissed the top of Sono's head, rubbing his back. He knew the blond was right, though he was very angry about Sono rejecting him again. And that anger blinded him momentarly. He gripped onto the blonds neck with both hands, squeezing tightly.

Sono was shocked, trying to pry the mans hands away. His breathing was being cut off, he clawed at the hands, tears now rolling from his eyes...both eyes. Takeo slammed him up against the cell door, squeezing tighter, feeling the blonds veins pump slowly.

"T-Takeo..."

Sono's tears landed on Takeo's wrists and suddenly, the man gasped, dropping the man to the floor, watching as he gasped for air. He stared at his hands, eyes wide and he was shaking. His eyes deverted to Sono, clutching his throat and trying to find air. Takeo backed away from him, shaking madly.

"Oh...my...god...I..."

The blond turned his weak head to look at the man and he saw how bad he was shaking. He collapsed to the floor, fisting his hair and crying, saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again. He didn't change. He was still the monster he knew he would become. He heard Sono's soft voice call his name, but he pushed him away.

"Go away! I can't look at you anymore!"

But Sono didn't leave. Instead, he got to his knees and hugged Takeo to his chest, allowing him to cry in his shirt. Sono ran his fingers through Takeo's black locks, kissing his head gently.

"Shhh, it's ok. I'm here now, it'll be ok."

Takeo looked up at him and took his face into his hands, kissing his nose like Seiji would do.

"Babe, please...I can't handle being alone again. All those people I killed...trying to ease the solitude...Sono...I still love you."

Sono weakly smiled and rubbed Takeo's hand, kissing his cheek. Love...Takeo still loved him after 15 years apart. Well, who could be surprised? Takeo was obbssesed with him. And as much as he felt like saying 'I've always loved you' to the man, he couldn't bury it with a lie.

"Takeo, I know how much you want me to say I love you back...but I would be lying if I said it. I love someone else. I will admit, that I still carry a great deal of care for you, but it has lessened over the years."

"Lessened?"

"You were right about one thing...I did become a slut. I slept with people to ease the sorrow filled hole in my heart that you etched. I tried to find happiness in the lust of other men, but it didn't help at all. But even as I had sex with all those people, I felt my care for the past disappear more and more each year until I found my soulmate. If I were into the theory of past lives, I'd say he'd be a second Naoki, but I doubt that's true. I love him for him and all he's ever done for me. He's helped me through so much. And I'm sorry. But...you and I...it ended the moment you first went MIA."

Takeo sighed again and removed his hands, knowing all too well that the blond was right. Knowing that his time was up, or seemingly, Sono got to his feet and walked out of the cell, locking it up. Just before he turned to leave, he heard,

"Sono, wait. I have something for you."

Curious...that was an understatment. Sono turned to watch Takeo crawl under his bed and pull out a small black bag. When he reached into it, he pulled something small out and walked back over to the blond, smiling. He took Sono's hand and said,

"He would want you to keep it."

With that, he placed the item into the blonds palm and Sono instantly paled. He gasped and he found that words eluded him. He looked at Takeo, tears peeked again.

"Naoki's ring...how did you get this?"

"After you went to Tokyo, I broke into your parents house and went looking through your old room, trying to find something, not sure why though. I saw it sitting in front of the picture we took the week high school started for us. I figured I'd use it as an outlet to get to you, but I figure this is best. Take it...I have no use for it."

"You stole...the ring Naoki gave me...only to return it to me?"

Takeo nodded.

"I know it's something you don't want to see given that you already wear the ring of another man. But it's something to keep Naoki alive..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his locket, opening it up to the picture. And Sono smiled, reaching into his own coat pocket and pulled his own locket out, opening it up to show the same picture. Takeo smiled,

"Naoki was buried with his locket...as you and I will be."

"Like we always planned...Takeo..."

Unable to help himself, the blond leaned in closer to the bars and Takeo reached him, their lips locked through the cell bars, a soft kiss to end their heart felt meeting. After the kiss, Takeo whispered,

"When I'm free, I'll come looking for you again. This time, I will kill you with no hesitations."

Sono chuckled and said,

"In due time, I'll look forward to it...but there's no chance of you being freed. I need to go...Takeo, no matter what happens, I'll always miss you as the man you were, not the man you became."

The blond walked away from the cell and just as he reached the white door, he heard,

"Babe, just so you're aware, you're a drug I'm forever addicted to. No matter what happens, you'll always be my personal little drug."

Without turning, Sono laughed and said,

"I'm no where near surprised..."

With what, Sono left the room and quickly shut the door, leaning his forhead against it, trying to ease his breathing. It had gone a lot smoother than he had figured, which was a good thing. He got his answers and he embraced the man he once loved after so many years. He took a shuddering exhale and quickly left the storage, walking back into the station.

Yakura was waiting there for him and quickly stood, running towards him with a worried face.

"How was it? Did he hurt you? And where's your eye bandage?"

Sono's hand quickly went to his uncovered black eye, but he only smile in responce. He told Yakura all that was said and done, how Takeo was gentle around him, excluding the moment where he almost strangled him. Yakura was astounded, and happy all at once. He patted Sono's shoulder and walked him to the door and out to the bus stop, seeing him on and waving as it took off.

During the bus ride home, Sono kept staring at the ring...the ring Naoki gave him. After all these years, it was still so beautiful...he remembered that day so vividly. The day Naoki had made his love for Sono official and overwhelming. He remembered what Naoki had said to him that night. About how he loved Ami, but he was in love with him.

I want us...to be together for as long as God intends for us to be together. When we graduate, we can go to school in America. You can go to an Art Institute and I can go to a Media College. If so, we can live in a small apartment together. We can get jobs, start a new life...leave Japan behind for a few years."

The dream they had shattered by Takeo's hands. But it didn't seem to bother Sono as much as it should've. It was the past and was best left in the past. He clutched the ring tighter and wiped his tears away silently, whispering Naoki's name to himself.

Finally home, Sono opened the door and removed his jacket and shoes, wanting so much to just relax after today. His talk with Takeo took 4 hours, unbelieviable as it was seeing as it felt like only a few moments. He stepped into the kitchen, thinking Seiji would be cooking, but he wasn't there. Curious, Sono peeked into the bathroom and saw no one.

"Seiji? Are you home?"

Slightly worried, he checked his phone, but saw no text messages and no missed calls. Gulping, he walked to their bedroom and once the door opened, his eyes widened. In the center of the bed, lay a bouqette of red roses and a note. He picked up the note and it read,

'Forever.'

The blond smiled and chuckled to himself, knowing what it meant. He didn't even flinch when he felt arms wrap around his waist and warm lips attack his cold neck. His hands touched the warm, tan skin and tilted his head up to meet those just as warm lips, touch his. He let out a loving noise, somewhat of a moans and they gently broke apart, the man kissing his nose.

"How'd it go?"

"It went...amazingly better than I thought it would. I got the answers I wanted and then some. It made me realize that Takeo isn't all monster and that's he still human somehow...it's over though. I've gotten my closure...and I can finally put my mind at ease."

Seiji smiled and kissed his lovers neck again, rubbing his stomach gently. To hear that everything was going to be alright again, it made his heart sing in peace. He picked his lover up and plopped him on the bed, earning his shocked squeck and giggle before they kissed again, hands roaming to feel the others bodies. Sono had missed this. He missed Seiji's rough but gentle touch everyday. Those hands that made him shriek to the high heavens if they could.

It was then Sono realized that Seiji had nothing on except a pair of sweats. Obviously, he had planned this. He felt his lovers lips on his ear, a weak spot for him and he let out a surprised moan of pleasure, fingers clawing at his back. He tried to speak between moans,

"S-Seiji...mmm...make love to me. Please."

The request burrowed in Seiji's ears, and he made no move to say no. He removed his lovers shirt gently to avoid the deep scars and kissed them lightly, trailing down the blonds body. Resting at his belt, he gently pried it off and pulled the jeans down along with his boxers,taking great care with his bad knee. Once gone, he sat back to admire the blonds body. Thin as it was, he was still so beautiful. Smiling, Seiji hovered over the blond and kissed his black eye, avoiding the question of where the bandage vanished to.

"I love you."

Just hearing it broke the blond down to tears again as he clutched onto Seiji's shoulders, kissing him as he felt the man shift to remove his sweats, then spread his legs. Given what Sono had gone through, pain was to be expected and he would kiss away any and all fears his lover had in mind. He kissed his cheek and gently pressed himself inside his lovers channel, hearing Sono let out a painfilled gasp, followed by deep, uneven breaths to calm himself down. Seiji told the blond to dig his nails into him if it started to hurt and that he could handle it.

In the first few thrusts, Sono felt like he was being ripped to pieces, but slowly relaxed and began to feel pleasure once again. His soft moans were beautiful music to Seiji's ears and he kissed his forehead, taking great care with such gentle thrusts. Even those gentle thrusts drove the blond mad with pleasure, his weak legs wrapped around Seiji's waist, moaning deep into Seiji's ear. He heard Seiji moaning in his ear as well, thrusting faster, but still trying to be gentle.

He linked hands with his lovers, kissing his lips and thrusting faster. When they broke apart, he heard Sono weakly moan out,

"Seiji...oh god...I can't...I can't hold on."

"Mmm then let go. Let me...see you again."

He leaned and kissed his lovers neck, biting down gently and felt the skin tremble madly. He heard Sono let out a loud peircing moan and he arched his back, shuddering madly against Seiji's body, his orgasm weaking his body. Seiji felt his lovers body tighten suddenly and he groaned, letting loose in his lovers body, his own body shaking madly. Once the orgasm chills wore off, he pulled out gently and collapsed against the blond, both breathing madly.

Sono was the first to recover and he turned his head to look at his lover, who was smiling to himself. Sono smiled to himself and curdled over to snuggle against his lovers chest, kissing his cheek. Seiji's arm snaked his way around the blonds thin shoulders and kissed the top of his head.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Seiji...I'm fine...mmmm kiss me again."

The man chuckled and pinned Sono to the bed, kissing him with such lustful passion. The blond felt his heart explode in joy and love. He kissed back and ran his fingers through Seiji's brown locks. He felt comfortable. He felt safe. He felt at ease once again. He wouldn't tell Seiji about his kiss with Takeo, because it wasn't important. He wouldn't tell him about the return on Naoki's ring, because it wasn't important. All that was important to him now...was Seiji. All he really cared for was his lover. All this time he thought about what he missed from his life and everything that was wrong with it during his brush with Takeo, but it was far from that now.

Yamada Seiji saved his life more times than he dared to count and didn't even realise it...the thought made Sono laugh through the kiss...

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed on by since his talk with Takeo. His body was recovering at such a fast pace. He was smiling so much more often and made Seiji happy as well. Sono even decided to continue his work after a discussion with his boss, about wanting to stop his hiatus. And his boss was more than pleased that his star artist was back to work.<p>

However, one night, is when something happened and it turned a lot of gentle things...into a lot of bad things.

-Days Later-

The news was on one night was both men watched and worked all at once. And the story that was being shown...it had plenty of mixed opinions.

_'I'm Takuya Miro with SakuraTV in Tokyo, Japan. An astounding discovery was made in the maximum security prision center only hours ago. Mass Murderer Takeo Mizuno was found dead in his holding cell at 4:15 this afternoon. His body was discovered by the afternoon watch guard and quickly alerted the warden and the medics, only to realize Takeo had been dead for quite some time...We just recivied word that an autopsy was performed and large doses of Meth, Heroine and Cocaine were found in his system. The medics have now deemed the cause of death a massive drug overdose...wait, we also just recieved word that-'_

It was all Sono needed to hear. The moment he heard Takeo's death made public on national tv, all the blood drained from his face and his eyes widened in horror. Seiji wanted to turn the tv off, but Sono stopped him as they showed the medics carry Takeo's body out on a stretcher. He listened as the reporter zoomed in on the covered body and the next thing out of the reporters mouth stunned him to no end.

_'It seems that drug overdose was not the only cause. It appears that Takeo also died of severe blood loss after carving two names into both of his arms. On his right arm shows the kanji below, '曽野'(Sono) and the left arm shows the kanji '直樹'(Naoki). Both characters had each side of a heart carved in next to them. Whatever Mizuno's motive was for suicide, all we can say is, it must've been a painfill experiance.'_

The camera's zoomed in on both of Takeo's arms, showing the two names. That's when Sono lost all his composure. He let out a loose scream and threw the pillow at the tv, screaming louder and sobbing hysterically. If he didn't know better, Seiji would've asked why Sono was making such a big deal out of this. But it was apparent as to why. No matter what happened, Takeo was always Sono's first friend and a vital role in his life...and now he was dead. He sat on the couch and took the blond into his arms, embracing him as Sono screamed into his chest...it was over, but not the way Sono wanted it to be over.

25 years ago, two boys became best friends, only one of them lived a seemingly normal life. The murder of his first lover broke his heart, to be broken more when he discovered his first friend, his own boyfriend, was the cause of it. And now, they show that very man dead. Sono wasn't too sure how to react. He was happy, but at the same time, extremely heart broken.

Seiji embraced him tighter, telling him it was going to be ok. The nightmare was over. And as forgien as it sounded in Sono's ears, it did cease his crying and screaming. Over...it was truley over...with Takeo gone, he had no reason to forever live in fear. Seiji shut off the tv and kissed the blonds shaking lips gently, inwardly telling him that no matter what happens, he would always be there, forever. After the kiss, they hugged and Sono felt at ease little by little. He stared at his ring, the ring Seiji gave him and thought about Seiji's words.

Forever...was there truley a forver?

He would never know.

~End~

* * *

><p>AN

And there it is. The end of our story. I hope the sequel was what you were expecting and i hope it turned out really good. The romance, the drama, I melded it into one story and finished the arc. It took a long time to edit the whole thing but I'm glad it turned out great; However, if I were to write more per the reviewers request, I wouldn't know where to begin. But that's for another time..

Until next time...*bow*


	17. Apology notice

To all the reviewers and fans of this story, once again, I apologize. This story was a re upload because I was an idiot out of irritation and accidentally deleted it.

I know a lot of people were confused when it suddenly went from chapter 16 to chapter 1 in less than a day. So yeah, that was irritating to fix.

But it's all up again and I hope its as good as before. I'd like to make it up to you, however...I don't know how. Just how I am. If you have any suggestions, message me and let me know.

Once again, sorry for the odd confusion.

~MDVG~


	18. Deleted Scene

So, I know I haven't exactly been working on much these last few weeks, but I decided to get this up. By an unknown fan, I was requested to write an additional scene in this story. Kind of like a 'what if' sort of deal. But I figured, 'hell, why not?'

Most of the chapter is what you've read in chpt 16, but you'll know when the deleted parts kick in. (Probably cause I marked them :p)

I hope this deleted scene turns out pretty good. This was my last bit of work I upload until my senior testing is finished. So enjoy!

* * *

><p>-Deleted Scene-<p>

Takeo wasn't expecting this. He knew he was in for a world of shit when he got the news he was being moved to Tokyo for a year, then to Europe. So he was slightly expected to see guards come and harass him as usual.

He didn't, however, expect to see the very man he abused, raped, humiliated, standing there with a look of want on his face. It stunned him...not to mention confused him.

He stood and said,

"What are you doing here?"

"Did you not hear me? I said I came to talk to you."

Takeo glared and turned his back and walked to the back wall, resting his arm against the stone and said,

"I don't want to talk to a rich cunt like you. Go away."

Sono rested his head against the cell bar and said quietly,

"I'm not rich...you know that. But that's not why I'm here."

Takeo said nothing and sighed to himself. He turned to look at the blond male, seeing his brown eye gleam in hope. He didn't want to see him. Sono was the last person he ever wanted to see before his move to Tokyo. But here he was, in the flesh, alive and well. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the blond, stopping within five feet of him and glared him down. This man got him put in jail again and he still had dreams of seeing him dead.

But now, as he stood before him, Takeo saw how much he did to him. And inside, he felt...guilty? What? No, Takeo Mizuno felt no guilt for anything he did and for the people he killed. Why was it this man got under his skin? He growled and said,

"I could've killed you...I should've killed you...how the fuck are you still alive?"

Sono's eye tilted down to the right and he said,

"It wasn't the right time for me to die, I suppose...I didn't want to go yet."

"But that was my plan! It should've gone all to formation! How the fuck did it fail? How-"

"Plan? What Plan?"

Then...Takeo grew silent, hand set to his mouth. Fuck...he let it slip. Groaning, he walked away to his bed and sat down, hands buried in his black hair. He knew he had let something valuable to him slip to someone who should'nt know anything about it. Now, he knew Sono was staring at him, curious about his 'plan'. He sighed loudly, trying to avoid to topic. But the blond gripped the bars, staring at him with such burning curiousity.

"Takeo, what plan? Tell me. I came to talk to you."

"...No...go away."

"I'm not going anywhere. Takeo, please. I came to talk to the person who opened me up to the world beyond my solitude. Not the killer he became..."

Takeo made no move to respond and Sono grew persistant. He gripped the bars tighter and said,

"You might not be willing to talk to me, so you can just listen. Years ago...I sat alone under a cherry blossom tree everyday because no one would even talk to me. I was alone...until you came and approached me. You were my first friend, the only person outside my family I could trust with whatever I had. Then...then you kissed me in 6th grade. You were my first kiss, my first love intrest."

Takeo tilted his head and looked at the blond with such stunning confusion. And Sono saw he had touched a nerve, so he went on.

"Yes...wither you believe it or not, you were the first person I fell in love with, not Naoki. Your jet black hair, your piercing blue eyes, I fell for it all. You were so kind to me. You were different from everyone else. And I don't know what happened to you that caused you to change into the man you are now, but I didn't like it all. Why do you think I went to Naoki for comfort in high school? Because you were gone. When I broke up with you, it was because you changed into someone else, someone I didn't like. And now, years later you suddenly appear and want to kill me. You could've done at graduation, but you didn't...you tried to kill me again and couldn't. You always hesitated and someone stopped you everytime...you-"

"Enough, I get your point. I don't want to discuss this anymo-"

"Well I do! Takeo, please...talk to me. What happened to you? You took away the two boys I fell in love with...you took away Naoki and you took away the Takeo I first fell in love with. Why? What did we do to make you hate us? Why did you want us dead?"

And for the first time in a long time, Takeo sighed in defeat and stood, walked over to where to the blond was and got closer, gripping the bars and stared into Sono's good eye. God those eyes...those brown eyes...eyes he could get lost in...he reached out and caressed the blonds cheek, making Sono jump suddenly at the soft touch. But he relaxed against it, knowing that he touched some nerves in his words and maybe now Takeo wouldn't harm him. Takeo continued to caress his cheek softly and ran his thumb over the tape that held the bandage over his eye.

He reached out to run his fingertips over the blonds neck, feeling the skin tremble under his fingers. It was a comforting silence between them and Takeo felt two differnet urges corsing through his veins.

One urge was to ring his hands around the blonds neck, forcing the air out of his body, feeling the life fade from his core. To see his eye fade into white death and his goal would be completed.

However, the other urge was to take him in his arms and kiss him like he used to, assuring him that nothing had changed. That deep down, he was still the same Takeo Mizuno that won over Sono's heart. But even then, he knew it was a lie. The Takeo he was long ago was dead and forever gone. The killer had taken over his form, but somehow, the blond hadn't changed. He still got under his skin...in pictures and in reality.

He removed his hands and sighed again, moving away from him and leaned against the wall again, mumbling to himself. He looked up at the blond and said,

"You really want to know what happened? You really want to know what changed me?"

Sono nodded and leaned closer to the bars, eager. Takeo shuddered and said,

"Your father...your fucking father changed me. After that night, the night he beat the shit out of you for seeing us kiss, it sparked something in me. Somehow, I felt excited seeing him hurt you. Excited and frightened all at once. So, I tried to fight the thrill by abusing anyone I found worthy of my hands, but it didn't satisfy me. It went like this through all of high school. And when I saw you and Naoki...having sex in your bed, I went fucking crazy. I suddenly wanted the two of you under my hands, hurt and bruised. I wanted you to suffer the most."

"Is that why you took Naoki from me? Because you saw us? Because you were jealous?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I was one who instigated those men to rape you so you'd coming running back to me. I didn't expect Naoki to get in the way. Believe me Sono, Naoki's death was entirely a miscouculation. But even as I say that, I'm not sorry that it happened. I'm glad he was killed so you would be all mine...heh, but that didn't happen all that well either, now did it. To answer your last question, yes I was jealous. Madly jealous."

The blond gulped and leaned his head against the cell bars again, as if not surprised by this confession. He felt tears in his eye, but refused to let them fall. Deep down, he knew Takeo's reasons for all his murders and other crimes. But none of it mattered now. He wanted to see HIS Takeo again. Not the monster who took his place.

He extended his arm out to the man and said,

"Takeo, I don't hold any kind of grudge against you for what you did in the past...that's why it's the past. Yes, I'm still angry for what you did and I was scared of you for years. You gave me nightmares after that night to a point where I refused to sleep. But please...let me see the real you again. Not the killer you became. I want the boy I grew up with back...I want my best friend back..."

Takeo stared at the extended hand, but made no move to reach out. He found it odd that Sono was speaking to him like this. After all the hell he put him through, he wanted to see 'the real him' again. Sighing, Takeo stood and remained by the wall, staring at the blond, eye desperate for his touch.

Suddenly, Takeo felt it again. The love he felt for the blond once before, rekindled and aflame again. No longer envisioning him as a bloody victim of his dreams, he saw him as the high schooler he loved for than the world he grew to hate. His feet betrayed him and soon, his hand was connected with Sono's, rubbing his knuckles lightly, feeling the warmth. He felt that same hand caress his own cheek, feeling the mans soft skin...he grasped it with his own hand and whispered,

"Why are you acting like this? I put you through the worst torture anyone could go through. I took away the boy who stole your heart from under me...I threatened to kill everyone you knew...I tried to kill you...why all of a sudden are you treating me like I'm your friend again?"

And Sono smiled, rubbing Takeo's cheek with his thumb, whispering back,

"Because through your murderous exterior, I still see the good in you. I always have. You might not believe it through all the blood that's tainted your hands, but I do. I came wanting to talk to you about it all and it's what I got. I know the reason you went crazy, but tell me what this plan of yours was? Why did it take you so long to kill me, or try to?"

Takeo placed his hand over the blonds and removed it from his cheek, sighing to himself. No way Sono was going to let this go. Might as well let it out now.

"My plan was...to reunite us."

"Huh?"

"After Naoki was killed, I admit, I was shocked and hurt to know my best friend was gone. Even knowing he was fucking you on the side, I was still hurt. And I knew this would change things between you and me since he was gone and I didn't want that to happen. So after I left Fukushima, I started planning it all out...find you, torture you to the brink of madness, then kill you...so then I would kill myself. So we could all be together again. All I wanted was for us to be together and to be happy."

He shuddered and then Sono saw something he had never once seen before...a tear. A tear from Takeo Mizuno's eye. It trailed down his cheek and instantly, Sono reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. He had never seen Takeo cry ever in his life and to see him show this kind of emotion...it made him happy. Takeo was still human. He was still the boy Sono knew all those years ago.

He wiped the tear away and rubbed Takeo's cheek again, staring at him. The man rubbed Sono's hand and sniffed, knowing the blond reached into his heart and yanked at his heart strings. He reached out and rubbed the blonds own cheeks, laying his forehead against the bars.

"I want to touch you...I want to hold you again."

Though the request was out there, Sono didn't think it was a wise idea at the moment. Takeo could easily be lying and would kill him the moment he unlocked his cell door. But he was willing to take the risk.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, slowly unlocking the cell door and quickly stepped inside, locking it again and set it back in his back pocket. When he turned, he saw Takeo stare at him, fists clenching. Suddenly, Sono felt his blood quicken and he slowly backed up. But yet again, Takeo surprised him.

The man stepped forward and tried to hold the man against him again. He was nervous, which was new to him. But he saw the blond smile weakly, whispering,

"Orange was never your color...I perfered you in black."

Takeo smiled and chuckled, stepping forward again and slowly, very slowly, wrapped his arms around the blond, holding him to his chest and rubbing his head. He felt Sono wrap his arms around his waist, nuzzling his chest. Takeo set his head on the top of Sono's blond locks, inhaling lightly.

"You smell so good...I envy your boyfriend...I wish I could take you away from him."

Sono visiably tensed up in Takeo's arms, much to the mans discomfort.

"Relax, you little shit. I won't do anything like that. I'm perfectly content with this..."

He kissed the top of Sono's head, rubbing his neck. The blond relaxed in Takeo's arms again, gripping onto his jail suit.

"Sono, if this is out of turn, I need to know...can I kiss you?"

The blond's eye widened at the request...a kiss...from Takeo Mizuno. He remembered those kisses in school. They always got his blood pumping and his heart throbbing. He looked up at the man and blushed.

"I-I don't know, Takeo...it wouldn't be fair to Se-"

"I know, but please, I want this. I want to feel your lips again. Your kisses meant everything to me. Your beauty, your smile, your eyes..."

Takeo reached up and touched the eye bandage, and Sono jumped, snapping his hand away. But Takeo moved again, slowly removing it and watched as Sono shut his eyes tightly. The bandage was then removed and Takeo's eyes widened at the sight of the black eye. It wasn't as swollen as before, but it was still purple and swollen to where Sono still couldn't open it. He touched it tenderly, leaning down to kiss it.

Finally, Takeo leaned down and slowly took Sono's lips in his, rubbing his neck gently. He wrapped his arms around the blonds waist and the other in his hair, deeping the kiss to a point of breath taking madness.

Sono also felt the affects. The moment Takeo kissed him, all the good memories came flooding back. He shut his eye and wrapped his arms under Takeo's arms, feeling the man deepen the kiss. He felt the mans tongue prod against his lip and he couldn't help himself. His mouth opened and moaned lightly as Takeo's tongue wrapped around his own, drawing moan after moan from each man.

-Part 1-

It was only after a few moments where Sono felt Takeo's left hand rubbing his lower back, a little too intimately. Especially when he felt that rough hand dig into the back of his jeans, rubbing his ass gently.

Suddenly stunned, Sono pushed him away and backed up against the cell, eyes wide and shaking. He gripped onto his shirt, gulping at what his once best friend tried to do. Takeo tilted his head in slight confusion.

"What's wrong?"

The blond gulped again, eyes averted to Takeo's dirty cot. He was horrified at the possibility of...well, that happening again. Takeo had already done it once. And it scared him more than anything to-

"Babe, you're shaking. What's wrong?"

"Don't call me that...you know I always hated it when you called me that."

"I know, but still. Why are you shaking so much?"

"Takeo, I've put up with you for a long time. Even though I allowed you to kiss me, there'd be no way in hell I could...well...do it again."

Sono found it hard to process his own words. Why was he having such a hard time trying to form rational words that told Takeo off. He should've been able to say no to Takeo...

But that kiss...it racked up so many happy memories. Memories of him and Takeo, kissing lightly in his bed while his own family was down stairs. Takeo sneaking into his room in the middle of the night, just to crawl in bed with him, holding him tight and seemingly never letting go.

This man, the very same man who kill hundreds of people just to get to him and to kill him...he used to be the same boy way back when who would climb up Sono's window to bring him soup and sweet rolls and chai tea when he was sick with a cold or the flu or anything that rendered the blond unable to move from bed.

Before Naoki, Takeo was all Sono needed in his world. When Naoki moved to Fukushima, it changed...for starters in a good way. It was long before Sono realized his odd feelings for his tan friend. Takeo was still all he needed.

Tears rolled down the blonds face as all those memories flooded his mind. He didn't even realize he was in tears until he felt Takeo's soft lips touch his forehead, those soft arms wrap around his thin waist. He felt his own tears stinging his sore eye, but Takeo kissed them away.

And for a moment, Sono felt like he was with Seiji again, assuming that this was all some kind of messed up dream. But no. Takeo continued to embrace him, kiss his face until his tears vanished. He ran his fingertips across Sono's wet face, kissing his neck.

"Let me in, babe. I want this...before I leave...will you? For me?"

In a brief second, Sono felt sick to his stomach once again. Faced with the fact that he was pressured to cheat on the love of his life with the man who, in turn, fucked up his love life.

But Seiji did say to go about this as Sono saw fit and that whatever he did, he'd understand...but sex? He couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Takeo...I...I can't I..."

"I suppose I understand your reasoning. But hear me out first. Sono, try as much as you want to not believe this, but you were the first person I ever fell in love with. When I confessed to you in 6th grade, I meant every word of it. I know that was such a long time ago, but even now, the last thing I want to do is to kill you, which is shocking even for me. Give me this one night, just this once. No rape, no pain, just us. Please..."

Takeo kissed him again, much more gently and Sono lost control of his mind. After 3 months, who wouldn't lose focus of their minds.

He kissed back and wrapped his arms around Takeo's neck, leaning in to whisper,

"Just this once...just this once."

Takeo smiled and kissed the blond, leading him to his cot and sat him down, running his fingers through his shirt. Sono shivered at the feel of the mans cold fingers on his skin; somehow, it actually turned him on.

They trailed higher, reaching their destination at the blonds nipples, tweaking them roughly. Sono gasped sharply into the kiss and broke apart, letting out a tremor that Takeo found absolutely cute.

The man removed his hands and positioned Sono on his back, rough hands already removing his belt and pulling at his zipper. The blond absentmindedly reached out to unzip Takeo's prison suit and tug it from his pale shoulders. Takeo quickly removed it right after he tugged off the blonds jeans and boxers. Now only dressed in his sweater, Sono felt horribly exposed...and horribly nervous.

He felt Takeo's hands trail up and down his soft thighs and he reached up to tug off his sweater, finally exposing him in all his bruised glory. Now he felt exposed and nervous. The blond tried to cover himself with his arms, feeling like a young virgin again.

Takeo smiled and leaned over him, kissing the top of his head, whispering,

"You're just as beautiful as I always imagined you to be. I'm actually kind of...jealous."

Sono's eye opened lightly, to see Takeo's soft smile.

"Jealous?"

"Sono, ever since I first tasted your lips, I've had fantasies about us in bed together, bare like this. And I told you before. I was insanely jealous of Naoki that he got to your body first. But now, it's my turn. And I want to savor it. I want to see what I've missed out on. I want to see the body before I raped it's core. I promise I'll be gentle with you."

Takeo then began kissing Sono's soft chest, rubbing his neck lightly, teasing his torso, stomach and neck with his tongue. All the while, Sono felt his mind slipping out of his control again. Takeo was driving him mad with lost lust.

The mans tongue dipped into his belly button, earning a soft squeak from the blond below him. Takeo chuckled.

"Ticklish?"

Sono blushed...and Takeo smiled softly, kissing his blonds legs and abdomen. He trailed down to his private area, which to his surprise, was rather hard and throbbing. He trailed it with his fingertip, making Sono jump and clutch the cot sheets.

"Takeo...just do it. I don't want prep..."

The man looked up at him quickly, as if not hearing him correctly.

"Are...are you sure?"

"I've dealt with sex without prep before. I can handle it..."

Takeo just stared into those eyes. He saw fear, nerves, shame. When he should've frowned, he smiled and spread the blonds thin legs, positioning himself. He took a firm hold of Sono's hands and within one thrust, slammed into his body, kissing him to swallow his scream. The last thing he needed was having the guards ruin his good time.

Sono screamed. Oh he screamed. The feeling of having Takeo slam into him raw and dry once again was a painful experience, but this time, it felt different. Like, there was meaning behind this. When Takeo released his lips, he let out a shaky breath, his eyes watering like a flood. He was sweaty, his blond hair sticking to his forehead. But he didn't seem to care as much.

Takeo stilled, letting Sono adjust this time. He watched as he cried, letting out miserable breaths of air. He leaned down and kissed his black eye again, rubbing his arms.

"I love you...I always have."

Takeo didn't expect the blond to respond. He knew after all that happened, there was no way in hell he would love him again.

He gave a hard thrust, which was greeted by Sono's sharp cry of surprise and he reached up to grip Takeo's shoulders tightly, wrapping his legs around his waist, tears continuing to flow down his cheeks.

Deep down in the dark corners of Sono's mind, there were times he imagined what sex with Takeo would be like. Granted, that was long, LONG before Takeo became what is was now. He imagined him to be a gentle lover, yet with a dominant side. This was nothing like what Sono had pictured.

To him, this was nothing more than sex before a guilty mans eternal trial. That's what he thought at first.

Takeo ran his hands through Sono's hair as he thrusted mad and deep into him, bringing him in for a deep kiss. The blond kissed back eagerly, mostly because he wanted this experience to end, but partly because he somehow didn't want this moment to end at the same time.

Somehow, it felt wonderful having Takeo inside him, to a more gentle extent. Sono knew he would regret this later, whither it was through Seiji or something else, but somehow, none of it mattered.

He gripped onto Takeo's shoulders tightly as he felt a liquid boil burning deep inside him. It was coming and from the feel of things, it was going to be heart breaking. He took Takeo's face into his shaking hands and out of impulse, out of memory, out of repressed love, he kissed Takeo's forehead, his legs tightening around his pale waist.

The blond came first, letting out a loud whimper as it took him by surprise. His back arched and he didn't even hear him moan out Takeo's name. But Takeo heard him and it pushed him off the edge, letting out a harsh groan and came deep into the blonds hot channel.

Then...it was quiet.

Both men tried to catch their breath; one found it horribly difficult to do so through his sobbing.

Takeo hoisted himself on his shoulders and wiped away Sono's tears, knowing why he was crying. He gently pulled out, helped Sono to his feet and walked him over to his cell shower, turning it on to a low pressure, since the water was cold.

He washed off his shaking victim, cleaned his whole body and even washed his hair. Afterwards, he dressed him in his clothes and redressed himself in his prison suit. They didn't discuss what had happened just a few moments ago. Takeo got what he desired the most in his life. It wasn't to kill the man...it was to make love to him the way he wanted. Maybe not in the setting he desired most, but even still, his wish came true.

They remained silent for a moment. Much too quiet for Takeo's taste. He moved behind Sono and turned him around, kissing his lips again, feeling his arms trail around his waist. When the kiss broke, Takeo whispered into his ear,

-part 1 of deleted scene ends-

"Sono, run away with me. I can escape from prision again and we can start again. Go where no one knows my name...like America. I-"

"Takeo...you know I can't."

Takeo moved him so he can glared into his eye. Now, he was angry.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Takeo...I admit, I enjoy being held by you again. It reminded me of all the good I feel in you. Your kisses feel amazing...but their nothing in comparrasion to the man I fell for now. I'm in love with someone else, Takeo. I'm sorry..."

Takeo sighed and kissed the top of Sono's head, rubbing his back. He knew the blond was right, though he was very angry about Sono rejecting him again. And that anger blinded him momentarly. He gripped onto the blonds neck with both hands, squeezing tightly.

Sono was shocked, trying to pry the mans hands away. His breathing was being cut off, he clawed at the hands, tears now rolling from his eyes...both eyes. Takeo slammed him up against the cell door, squeezing tighter, feeling the blonds veins pump slowly.

"T-Takeo..."

Sono's tears landed on Takeo's wrists and suddenly, the man gasped, dropping the man to the floor, watching as he gasped for air. He stared at his hands, eyes wide and he was shaking. His eyes deverted to Sono, clutching his throat and trying to find air. Takeo backed away from him, shaking madly.

"Oh...my...god...I..."

The blond turned his weak head to look at the man and he saw how bad he was shaking. He collapsed to the floor, fisting his hair and crying, saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again. He didn't change. He was still the monster he knew he would become. He heard Sono's soft voice call his name, but he pushed him away.

"Go away! I can't look at you anymore!"

But Sono didn't leave. Instead, he got to his knees and hugged Takeo to his chest, allowing him to cry in his shirt. Sono ran his fingers through Takeo's black locks, kissing his head gently.

"Shhh, it's ok. I'm here now, it'll be ok."

Takeo looked up at him and took his face into his hands, kissing his nose like Seiji would do.

"Babe, please...I can't handle being alone again. All those people I killed...trying to ease the solitude...Sono...I still love you."

Sono weakly smiled and rubbed Takeo's hand, kissing his cheek. Love...Takeo still loved him after 15 years apart. Well, who could be surprised? Takeo was obbssesed with him. And as much as he felt like saying 'I've always loved you' to the man, he couldn't bury it with a lie.

"Takeo, I know how much you want me to say I love you back...but I would be lying if I said it. I love someone else. I will admit, that I still carry a great deal of care for you, but it has lessened over the years."

"Lessened?"

"You were right about one thing...I did become a slut. I slept with people to ease the sorrow filled hole in my heart that you etched. I tried to find happiness in the lust of other men, but it didn't help at all. But even as I had sex with all those people, I felt my care for the past disappear more and more each year until I found my soulmate. If I were into the theory of past lives, I'd say he'd be a second Naoki, but I doubt that's true. I love him for him and all he's ever done for me. He's helped me through so much. And I'm sorry. But...you and I...it ended the moment you first went MIA."

Takeo sighed again and removed his hands, knowing all too well that the blond was right. Knowing that his time was up, or seemingly, Sono got to his feet and walked out of the cell, locking it up. Just before he turned to leave, he heard,

"Sono, wait. I have something for you."

Curious...that was an understatment. Sono turned to watch Takeo crawl under his bed and pull out a small black bag. When he reached into it, he pulled something small out and walked back over to the blond, smiling. He took Sono's hand and said,

"He would want you to keep it."

With that, he placed the item into the blonds palm and Sono instantly paled. He gasped and he found that words eluded him. He looked at Takeo, tears peeked again.

"Naoki's ring...how did you get this?"

"After you went to Tokyo, I broke into your parents house and went looking through your old room, trying to find something, not sure why though. I saw it sitting in front of the picture we took the week high school started for us. I figured I'd use it as an outlet to get to you, but I figure this is best. Take it...I have no use for it."

"You stole...the ring Naoki gave me...only to return it to me?"

Takeo nodded.

"I know it's something you don't want to see given that you already wear the ring of another man. But it's something to keep Naoki alive..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his locket, opening it up to the picture. And Sono smiled, reaching into his own coat pocket and pulled his own locket out, opening it up to show the same picture. Takeo smiled,

"Naoki was buried with his locket...as you and I will be."

"Like we always planned...Takeo..."

Unable to help himself, the blond leaned in closer to the bars and Takeo reached him, their lips locked through the cell bars, a soft kiss to end their heart felt meeting. After the kiss, Takeo whispered,

"When I'm free, I'll come looking for you again. This time, I will kill you with no hesitations."

Sono chuckled and said,

"In due time, I'll look forward to it...but there's no chance of you being freed. I need to go...Takeo, no matter what happens, I'll always miss you as the man you were, not the man you became."

The blond walked away from the cell and just as he reached the white door, he heard,

"Babe, just so you're aware, you're a drug I'm forever addicted to. No matter what happens, you'll always be my personal little drug."

Without turning, Sono laughed and said,

"I'm no where near surprised..."

With what, Sono left the room and quickly shut the door, leaning his forhead against it, trying to ease his breathing. It had gone a lot smoother than he had figured, which was a good thing. He got his answers and he embraced the man he once loved after so many years. He took a shuddering exhale and quickly left the storage, walking back into the station.

Yakura was waiting there for him and quickly stood, running towards him with a worried face.

"How was it? Did he hurt you? And where's your eye bandage?"

Sono's hand quickly went to his uncovered black eye, but he only smile in responce. He told Yakura all that was said and done, how Takeo was gentle around him, excluding the moment where he almost strangled him. Yakura was astounded, and happy all at once. He patted Sono's shoulder and walked him to the door and out to the bus stop, seeing him on and waving as it took off.

During the bus ride home, Sono kept staring at the ring...the ring Naoki gave him. After all these years, it was still so beautiful...he remembered that day so vividly. The day Naoki had made his love for Sono official and overwhelming. He remembered what Naoki had said to him that night. About how he loved Ami, but he was in love with him.

_I want us...to be together for as long as God intends for us to be together. When we graduate, we can go to school in America. You can go to an Art Institute and I can go to a Media College. If so, we can live in a small apartment together. We can get jobs, start a new life...leave Japan behind for a few years."_

The dream they had shattered by Takeo's hands. But it didn't seem to bother Sono as much as it should've. It was the past and was best left in the past. He clutched the ring tighter and wiped his tears away silently, whispering Naoki's name to himself.

-part 2-

He pulled out his cell phone and opened it, mindlessly dialing a number...he should've done this a long time ago...

There was a pause...he was afraid no one was going to pick up at first. Until he heard,

"_Hello? Hanasaki speaking."_

The blond gulped, unsure of where to begin with this conversation. He heard the man say 'hello?' again and somehow, Sono couldn't stop his mouth...

"Oto?...it's me."

Another pause...a much more shocking pause. Sono was afraid that the man hung up on him. He was almost tempted to hang up himself until he heard,

"_Is...is that really you, little brother?"_

"Yeah...it's me...I...wanted to see how you were doing?"

"_You waited 15 years just to ask me that? Fuck, I should be asking you that after you just stopped contacting us."_

"I know...and I'm so sorry, Oto..."

"_Well...what did you want?"_

Sono felt tears weld into his eyes. It sounded like his own brother didn't want to talk to him. How could he blame him though? Sono made it clear he didn't want to talk to his family...but he felt as though he should.

"Oto...if this is a bad time..."

"_Might as well get on with it, Sono. What do you want?"_

"I...just wanted to see if you were...busy this weekend. Maybe I could come down and see you again."

"_...I'm sorry, what?"_

"Oto, I know I haven't been the best younger brother ever...but I realize now that I was taking all my problems out on you and mother and...well, you know. Please...I want to see you again. Can't we talk about this?"

"_I don't think we have anything to talk about."_

There they were. The tears Sono tried to avoid were pouring down his cheeks once again. He gripped his phone tightly, trying to ease his breathing. It didn't go unnoticed.

"_Hello?"_

"Oto, we have so much...to talk about. Please...I want to see my big brother again...I miss you so much..."

"_...I thought you hated us."_

"I never hated you. I was an idiot and blamed you and our parents for everything that was fucked up in my life...please...I want to make things right between us again. Please let me come see you."

The bus stopped for a few moments, letting people on as Sono desperatly awaited his brothers answer. He wiped away his tears and gulped, hearing Oto let out a sigh over the phone and say,

"_You have no idea how much I miss you, Sono. The only reason I didn't call you was because you didn't want to call us...I saw what happened on the news and how that demon came and found you...Look, as much as I know this is short notice, I'll book you a plane ticket for next Friday. Is that ok?"_

"That's perfect...That's so perfect."

Sono thought he heard Oto smile over the phone, even as he heard his soft laugh. God, Sono missed his brothers laugh.

"_I'll let Miyuki know you're coming. She'll be so excited to see you again after so long. I'm excited to see you after so long...but Sono, there's something I want you to do after we hang up, ok?"_

"Ok...what?"

"_I want you to call mom and dad and tell them you're coming. I may live in Tokyo, but I can still set you up with a train ticket to Fukushima. If you're coming to see me, you're going to see them...ok? Can you do that?"_

Sono wasn't sure what to say to that request. He knew he and his father weren't exactly on good terms, so he wasn't sure if he'd be willing to see him again...his mother, maybe...but...

"_Sono?"_

"Oto...I don't know if I can...you know dad and I are-"

"_I know, baby. But I don't care. You two need to get passed that and move on. Just call and talk to him or mom...either one will talk with you. Ok? I need to get back to work. Text me when you get done with them. Ok?"_

"Ok...Oto?"

"_Hm?"_

"I...I love you."

Again, he thought he heard Oto smile over the phone and he said,

"_I love you too, Sono. I'll see you next week."_

With that, the blond hung up the phone and felt his heart throbbing against his chest. After 15 years, he was going to see his older brother again. Oh, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so excited. Tokyo, Fukushima, he didn't care where he was going. He was just so excited to be seeing his family again...he'd have to tell Seiji about it later, but he'd do it before than.

But there was one thing he had to do. This time, he felt less scared as he dialed another number and waited. He heard a secretary pick up and when she asked if she could help him, he smiled and said,

"Yes...could you patch me through to Hanasaki Kenji?...thank you"

~End~

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed this deleted scene. :D Like i said, after I got the request, I was just 'eh what the hell?'.<p>

Well, I bid you good bye for now. Until my week of testing is finished, this will be the last work I post for a while...that and I'm running low on inspiration. BUT...when I do come back, it'll be with something good.

Love to you all!

~MDVG~


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